Living to Survive
by SillyPeaches
Summary: Milton's daughter does everything to survive the Zombie apocalypse, but Chloe soon learns it takes a lot more to live.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of it's characters, or any of it's places; except the one's I created.**

**Just a quick Author's Note before I begin: This fanfic is completely AU. It just came into my mind, and I thought if I don't post it now, I never will, and I'd probably regret it later. I've pretty much got most chapters worked out, but will be skipping over some scenes that happened in the show, and changing some around to work with the storyline. The quotes in the story will be different from the quotes in the show. Just bear with me, and enjoy the story; and feel free to leave a review afterwards.**

A year had passed since the apocalypse started; the dead were coming back, and had taken over the cities. People had abandoned their homes and their towns in hopes of finding a safe haven; many others didn't want to live through it all, and had taken their own lives, while others died in car accidents, or were killed in some brutal way. A lot of them reanimated, turning them into monsters, different from who they once were, walking the earth, eating anything that was alive. There weren't very many safe places in the world anymore, and most people lived or travelled in groups; often times, they had to move to a new place everyday in order to avoid the walkers, but they were everywhere. All they could do was pack up and move on, and pray that they'd live to see tomorrow.

Luckily, the small town of Woodbury, Georgia was well protected and heavily guarded from walkers; all the residents were safe from the outside world, and knew that as long as the walls were surrounding the town, nothing would get to them. People had jobs, Kids went to school; Phillip Blake had taken the title of Governor, as that what the residents started calling him. It was as if nothing was wrong in the world, and there wasn't a care in the world.

Yeah, right; as if they hadn't been through a nightmare months ago. If it hadn't been for a small army, they'd all be dead by now. Of course, Chloe Mamet knew that; she had witnessed the deaths of her mother and younger brother, watching helplessly as they had been bitten by walkers. She had managed to escape with her father, his best friend, and his daughter, driving as far away as possible. Chloe was so shaken up, that she hardly spoke for two months, especially after Penny Blake had been attacked by a walker and succumbed to the infection, leaving her father, Phillip to grieve his only child. What Chloe didn't know was that she had reanimated, and Phillip was keeping her locked away in his apartment.

Every morning, after breakfast, Chloe would leave the small apartment to go visit her father in his lab, where he worked, hoping to find a cure. She would knock on the door, and wait for an answer.

"Come in."

Chloe opened the door and walked into the lab. Milton Mamet was reading a book, but set it on the table when he saw that his daughter had entered. He smiled as she walked towards the desk. It didn't matter if he was reading or typing on his computer, his daughter was his first priority.

"Chloe, I've told you a million times." Milton said. "You don't have to knock. Phillip never knocks on the door, so why do you."

"Well, how do I know that there won't be a walker in here when I open this door?" Chloe asked.

"Then, I would wonder how that walker got in here in the first place." Milton replied. "Are you okay? You've been really tense lately."

"I'm fine." Chloe insisted, knowing that was lie. "I've just haven't gotten much sleep lately."

Milton was about to speak when Phillip Blake walked in. He mentioned something about two women who had been hiding out in the woods. Chloe listened to the conversation between the two men before Phillip turned to her.

"Chloe can you come with me?" he asked

"Of course." Chloe replied, before she followed Phillip out of the lab and outside. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine." Phillip implied, as they walked into the medical clinic. "I just need you to help Merle to keep an eye on our guests."

Chloe and Phillip walked into the room, where Merle Dixon was sitting with the two women.

"Well, it's about time." Merle emphasized. "I've been stuck in here with Blondie, and her Nubian Queen friend.

Phillip introduced Chloe to the two women: Andrea and Michonne, before leaving to go talk to Milton. Chloe listened to the conversation between Merle and Andrea.

"We lost a few people." Andrea admitted. "Jim, Jacqui, Sophia, Dale." she sighed before continuing. "Amy."

"Oh, your little sister, huh?" Merle asked "I'm so sorry to hear that; she was a good kid."

Andrea didn't say anything else. Merle told Chloe to keep an eye on the women before leaving the room. There was an awkward silence before Chloe spoke up.

"I know how you feel." she stated. "I lost people, too."

"Who did you lose?" Andrea asked.

"My mom and my brother." Chloe muttered. "There was nothing I could do. Those things just kept coming. It's just me and my father."

"Well, you're lucky you have him." Andrea said with a smile.

Michonne, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke up.

"Andrea and I were out in the woods for eight months."

Chloe was shocked. "And you're both still alive? And what was this I'm hearing about pet walkers?"

"Protection." Michonne replied "From other walkers."

Chloe was about to speak when Phillip walked in. He asked her to go out and guard the wall, and she obeyed his orders. Chloe left the clinic, and walked to the wall where Merle and Caesar Martinez were waiting. Chloe climbed up the ladder, and Merle handed her a rifle, and she stood between him and Martinez, watching out for any walker who came near the wall.

"Nice of you to join us, Honey Bunch." Merle chuckled.

"I told you not to call me that." Chloe objected.

"How's about you and me go get us a drink later?" Merle asked.

"How about you shut up before I shove this rifle where the sun don't shine?" Chloe suggested sarcastically.

"Now, is that any way to treat a person?" Merle asked, surprisingly. Martinez smirked behind Chloe's back. "Is that any way to talk to the person who saved your life."

It was true; If it wasn't for Merle, Chloe would have been dead by now. She had helplessly tried to fight of a herd of walkers, and was ready for death, when Merle came along and gunned down every walker. He was immediately accepted into the group, and even taught Chloe how to shoot a gun. He also became good friend with Milton and Phillip. Merle mentioned that he was looking for his brother, and had hoped everyday that they would meet again. Chloe prayed that they would; family was very important. They got along very well, but teased each other a lot. Chloe learned very quickly not to tick Merle off. She did it once, and the results were not good. Rule two was don't give Merle any crap, and always try to stay on his good side.

Chloe was starting to get bored standing on the wall, she turned to see that Phillip was showing Andrea and Michonne around Woodbury. Phillip then lead them into the apartment building.

"We got a walker." Martinez announced.

"I got it." Chloe dictated as she aimed her rifle towards the walker. She pulled the trigger, and the bullet hit the walker in the brain.

"Every single time." Martinez bragged. "How do you do it?"

"Concentration." Chloe said, turning to see her father walking outside with Phillip. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Chloe handed the rifle to Merle before climbing down from the wall, and walking to where Milton was talking to Phillip. Merle came over soon after.

"Dad, Merle's picking on me again." Chloe announced.

"Was not!" Merle exclaimed

"Yes you were, you called me Honey Bunch, after I told you not to!" Chloe implied

"Well, you threatened to shove that rifle up my-"

"Merle, were you picking on my daughter again?" Milton asked.

"Uh, no." Merle lied, before seeing that Milton was glaring at him. "I mean, yes."

"You stop calling my daughter all those ridiculous nicknames, and maybe she won't threaten to shove her rifle up your back side." Milton suggested.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Milty." Merle mumbled.

"And you can stop calling me Milty." Milton instructed.

Milton was like every other father; he worried constantly about his daughter, and would get angry if anyone tried to hurt her. However, he did have a sense of humor, always trying to get his daughter to smile. It had been months since Chloe laughed or smiled, and Milton was worried that she would never be happy again. There were times when she wouldn't leave the apartment, and had thought of taking her own life. The only time she tried it, she held a gun to her head, ready to pull the trigger. She would have succeeded if Phillip hadn't come and taken the gun from her. Milton wouldn't let her out of his sight for a long time, worried that she would attempt it again.

"We need to get more information from our guests." Phillip announced. "It's amazing how they survived for so long."

"What about the pilot from the helicopter crash?" Milton asked

"He didn't make it." Phillip replied, without any emotion.

"That's a shame." Milton emphasised. "I was hoping to get some information from him. Where are the women?"

"I've put them in a room next to mine." Phillip said "Well talk with them over lunch. In the mean time, I think I should leave you two alone."

Phillip walked away, leaving Milton alone with is daughter. Chloe glared briefly at Phillip wondering if the pilot had even succumbed to his injuries at all. It wouldn't be the first time Phillip had said that. Just a few months ago, an injured couple had come to Woodbury, but were never seen or heard from again. Chloe still trusted Phillip no matter what he said; after all, her father trusted him.

"You shouldn't lie to me." Milton said "I know you're not all right. I understand what happened to Gavin and your mother was hard on you, but you still have me."

"I couldn't save them." Chloe said, with guilt in her voice, looking down at the pavement. "I tried to, but there were so many of them; there was nothing I could do. For God's sake, he was just a kid. He was only thirteen."

Milton put an arm around his daughter. "I know. I think about it everyday, too. Chloe, I know things have been tough, but we've come a long way. As long as those walls are up, we're safe. Come on, you must be hungry."

Chloe followed her father into Phillip's apartment, where Phillip was sitting at the table with Andrea and Michonne. Milton and Chloe sat down at the table, and Phillip gave them each a sandwich, warning Chloe that she'd better eat the whole thing, or he'd shove it down her throat. Chloe ate her meal, listening to the conversation. Michonne stared at the case, which contained her katana.

"So, let me get this straight." Milton said "You cut of the arms of the walkers so they can't grab you, and remove their jaws so they can't bite you. They become uninterested after losing their ability to eat. They just become docile."

Michonne gazed at Milton, but didn't say a word.

"A town protected from the outside." Andrea replied "Got all the resources you need to live a daily life. I'd say you're sitting pretty at the end of the world."

Michonne, who had not said a word, stood up quickly.

"We want our weapons back!" she scolded.

"Two against the world that's long gone." Phillip implied, looking at Chloe who had just finished her sandwich. "Did you get enough."

Chloe nodded with a fake smile, and thanked Phillip for the sandwich. She had known Phillip her whole life, and knew that he'd keep her safe even in the most dangerous situations. He was the reason she and her father were still alive today. Chloe alway said she was all right, but Phillip knew that when she smiled, she was only pretending. She was glad when Milton got up from the table, and they both left the apartment to go into his lab. Milton tried his best to keep his job a secret from Chloe, but she knew what he was up to, but didn't understand why he was trying to find a cure in the first place.

"Dad, why are you doing this?" Chloe asked

"Phillip wants me to." Milton replied

"Why?" Chloe asked

Milton didn't answer; he knew that Phillip kept Penny locked away hoping that a cure would be found, but if Chloe found out about Penny, she wouldn't be happy about it. She was left to believe that Phillip had shot Penny in the head to prevent her from reanimating, and buried her in a field outside Woodbury.

"Phillip does know that he can't bring his daughter back, right?" Chloe asked "And even if you do find this cure, nothings going to bring her or anyone else back."

"Phillip trusts me." Milton boasted. "And I trust him. You should, too."

"I do trust him." Chloe admitted. "But sometimes, he seems a bit out of character. You should know, you lost your son and wife."

"I know." Milton whispered, with a slight sadness in his voice. "That's why I try to keep you in my sight as much as I can. You're all I have left in this world."

Milton took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt; Chloe mentioned that he looked better when he had worn contacts.

"Well, I'm glad you and Gavin didn't inherit my bad eye sight." Milton stated.

"No, but Gavin inherited your orneryness." Chloe mentioned.

"Hey, you're ornery, too." Milton pointed out. "But your brother was ornerier. And I wish you would smile. I'm really tired of that fake one."

"Tell you what, Dad." Chloe started suggesting. "You find a way to get the walkers to dance, I might start laughing more; but until then, you might as well give up, because you're only going to get fake smiles from me."

Milton sighed; everyday, he'd find a way to get her to smile, but she refused, often walking away from him. Just because the world had ended didn't mean she couldn't be happy. They were very close, but Milton felt that she was going to break away from him, and become depressed and attempt to do the unthinkable. All Chloe wanted was for her father to be okay when the day was over.

**Don't worry, it'll get better. I also need to work on Milton's sense of humor. I apologize if the chapter seems off, but I'll try my best to make the following chapters better. Oh, and if you think the story could use a better title, let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe had become good friends with Andrea, but was having a hard time trying to get Michonne to talk; she would only say hello, but would remain quiet after that. Andrea was easy to talk to, and she and Chloe would talk every chance they got. Andrea mentioned that she knew Merle back when they had been at a camp site in Atlanta. His brother, Daryl was with the group, and Andrea had gotten separated from them when they abandoned a farm they had been holed up in. Michonne had saved Andrea's life, and the two had been friends ever since.

"Merle told me he saved your life." Andrea said, curiously.

"He did." Chloe admitted. "He told me he had to cut off his hand because some police officer handcuffed him to a roof."

"Well, he deserved it." Andrea implied. "Has he ever been mean to you?"

"No, but he picks on me a lot." Chloe replied. "He keeps calling me Honey Bunch."

"Trust me, he could call you something even worse." Andrea pointed out "And there he is right now. Good, I have to give him this map; Merle, I've got you that map."

"Have you now?" Merle asked

Andrea opened the map, pointing out the farm she and the group had been holed up in, and pointed out the wooded area, where they had been looking for Sophia, a little girl who was a part of Andrea's group.

"Daryl spent his time trying to find her." Andrea mentioned, handing the map to Merle. "He was the only one who was willing to look for her."

Merle smiled at Andrea. "How come we've never hooked up?"

"You called me a whore." Andrea reminded him. "And a rugmuncher."

"I got a way with words, don't I?" Merle smirked.

Andrea walked away. "See what I mean?" she muttered as she walked past Chloe, who looked at Merle, before she walked the other way. She was about to go visit her father in his lab when she heard Michonne calling for her.

"Hey, it's Chloe, isn't it?" Michonne asked. "Can we talk?"

"Of course." Chloe replied "What's going on?"

Michonne and Chloe started walking; Michonne was saying that she didn't trust Phillip, and was appalled that he would choose Governor as his title. Chloe had to agree with her; she prefered to call him by his first name. The only time she had called him Mr. Blake, he almost threw her into the river when she was with his family on a camping trip.

"Do you trust him?" Michonne asked.

"I've known him my entire life." Chloe claimed "He's been friends with my father since childhood. I would trust Phillip before trusting a grizzly bear."

"I think I'd prefer the grizzly bear." Michonne muttered, causing Chloe to give her a strange look. "I want my weapon back, and I want out of here."

"You have nothing to worry about here." Chloe said "It's not safe out there."

"As if I didn't know that." Michonne argued. "Andrea and I were fine until the redneck showed up."

"Andrea looked like she was dying!" Chloe exclaimed. "I can't believe she lasted that long out there!"

"Well, she would have been dead by now if I didn't save her." Michonne said "I kept her safe."

"Of course you did." Chloe mumbled. "You'll have to talk to Phillip about getting your sword back, and getting out of here. I'm not a messenger."

"Maybe I should just go and there and get it myself?" Michonne suggested

Chloe sighed. "Michonne, the only way you're going to get it back is if you get on Phillip's good side."

"That man doesn't have a good side!" Michonne exclaimed. "I saw what he did to those people from the helicopter crash! They were still alive!"

"You know, if you didn't have those pet walkers with you, they would have never known you and Andrea were there." Chloe pointed out. "Even with all the experiences you have, there's no way either of you would have survived out there for very long.

Michonne muttered something before walking away from Chloe, who turned around, and walked to her father's lab. When she got inside, she found him making a sandwich.

"Hey, you got any grey poupon?" Milton asked.

"Do I look like I got any grey poupon?" Chloe asked

"Obviously not." Milton replied quietly.

"And if that's your attempt to get me to laugh, you failed." Chloe said

"I'll succeed one of these days." Milton said, with a smile. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I just ate not too long ago." Chloe answered. "Are you putting chili sauce on your sandwich again."

"You put Nutella on your oatmeal creme pies." Milton said with a slight laugh. "So don't tell me what I can and can't put on my sandwich. I see you and Andrea have become friends."

"Yes, but Michonne is hard to get along with." Chloe replied. "She refuses to trust Phillip. It's like he's an enemy to her."

"Well, some people find it hard to trust others." Milton said "Then, they get to know each other and you become friends. You remember when you and Caesar first met."

How could she forget? She and Martinez refused to even look at each other, then one day they both were on the wall, and Martinez started talking to her after becoming increasingly bored, and they both got along very well after that, but Chloe would glare at him when he smirked while Merle picked on her. Sometimes, Martinez would let Chloe tag along when they went on runs to other towns. She never called him by his first name, but he didn't mind at all. Chloe got along with everyone in the town, but Milton rememebered how shy she was at first, but she grew out of it once she got to know everyone.

"I'm going back home." Chloe said, getting up to leave.

"I'll be there in an hour." Milton called after her.

Chloe walked outside, and to the apartment. When she got inside, Phillip was there. She jumped in amazement, with a small scream.

"How did you get in here?"

"Spare key." Phillip replied.

"If you're going to keep sneaking in here, I'm going to take that away from you!" Chloe warned. "You scared the daylights out of me."

"Sorry." Phillip muttered.

"Why are you even here?" Chloe asked "If you want to talk to my father, he's working in his lab."

"He didn't want me bothering him." Phillip replied.

"I was just in there." Chloe said.

"That's different. You're his daughter." Phillip pointed out. "You've got a free pass to see him whenever you feel like it."

"Well, while you're here, I have a question." Chloe sighed. "What happened to Lieutenant Welles?"

"I told you, he died of his injuries." Phillip exclaimed. "Why are you so concerned?"

"What about that couple?" Chloe asked "I only saw them once when Dr. Stevens was looking after them, then never saw them again!"

"They both had to be put down because their injuries were life threatening." Phillip claimed "There was nothing that could be done."

"Phillip, I trust you, but how long will Andrea and Michonne last?" Chloe asked, with anger in her voice. "And did you even bury your daughter?"

"Of course I did." Phillip replied after he thought about it for a minute. "I did it while you and your father were asleep."

"How do I know that you don't have her-"

"Enough!" Phillip interrupted. "It's too early for me to talk about what happened to Penny!"

"I've been hearing growling coming from your living room." Chloe said suspiciously. "What are you hiding?"

"That was my stomach." Phillip lied, clenching his fist.

"I know when you're lying." Chloe said. "You clench your fist when you do. And no one's stomach is that loud. It almost sound like you're hiding a walker in your house!"

"I-I'm not hiding anything." Phillip stammered. "I've gotta leave."

Phillip left, still clenching his fist. But something was up, Chloe knew it. She heard a noise coming from the apartment, and smiled assuming Michonne had gotten her Katana back.

"I was going to give it back to you." Chloe heard Phillip mutter through the wall.

Soon after getting her sword back, Michonne slaughteedr every walker in the Woodbury arena; a few days later, Phillip allows her to leave. Andrea decides to stay behind, preferring to stay in a safe place. Michonne left, saying that Andrea would just slow her down. Soon, Merle gathered an army to hunt her down, but only Merle returned, saying she killed everyone else, and that he had killed her, and was going to bring back here head as a reward, but had become ambushed by walkers. While he was out, he captured a couple, one of whom he already knew. He referred to them as "the Asian" and "farmer's daughter". The two had been with a group, but refused to say where they were staying. Chloe knew very well that this was an attempt for him to be reunited with his brother, and knew that there would be an attack. And she would also soon realize what her father was really doing in his lab.

**I know the chapter's short, and I seem to be rushing things, but I did mention I was going to skip a few scenes. Hopefully next chapter will have some action.**


	3. Chapter 3

Milton had been working late hours in his lab. He kept saying something about needing a test subject, which Chloe was confused about, when an elderly resident, Michael Coleman, who had terminal prostate cancer offered to be a volunteer. Why Milton needed a volunteer, Chloe didn't know, but it was even more surprising when Phillip decided to have Andrea assist Milton. Andrea had been banned from guarding the wall after she climbed over to kill a walker, and Phillip needed to keep her busy.

Chloe was on the wall with Martinez, and Karen, a resident who lived in Woodbury with her son, Noah. Karen and Chloe carried on a conversation, in which Chloe revealed that she was seventeen years old, and would have started her senior year in high school in the fall of the current year if the world hadn't gone to hell. She also mentioned that she was on her school's soccer team, and was a member of the National Honor's Society, and was editor of the school newspaper.

"Your parents must have been proud." Karen said.

"Oh, they were." Chloe replied. "Although, my father kept telling me that I shouldn't be doing so much at once. It was either that, or sit at home watching cartoons with my brother."

"Were you close to your brother?" Karen asked.

"We were like all other siblings." Chloe said. "But yes, we were close. I really don't want to talk about this."

"I understand." Karen said.

Martinez looked over at Chloe with sympathy. Every time someone brought up her brother, she would quickly end the conversation. Chloe wanted to know information about the two captives.

"Chloe, that isn't any of your business!" Martinez scolded. "How did you even find out about that?"

"I over heard Merle and Phillip talking this morning." Chloe replied. "Merle seems to know one of them."

"I think you've had enough for one day." Martinez said. "Give me the rifle."

Chloe objected, but Martinez demanded. Chloe thrusted the rifle to Martinez, who told her that she would have guarding duties again when she learned to mind her own business. She gave him a dirty look and a rude gesture before climbing down from the wall. Karen tried to keep from laughing, as Martinez was glaring at her. Unfortunately for Chloe, Phillip saw and heard the whole thing. He stopped her as she was walking towards her father's lab.

"What was that all about?" he demanded to know.

"What is going on around here?" Chloe asked

"I asked you first!" Phillip scolded. "You can't just start asking questions."

"Well, maybe you and Merle should be a little quieter." Chloe suggested. "I know about the two captives. Their people are probably on their way here right now. Maybe even Merle's brother."

"Listen, you're banned from the wall until I say otherwise." Phillip said, before he spoke calmly. "I'm trying to do my best to keep you and everyone else safe. Don't make it hard on me, okay?"

"Okay." Chloe replied.

"If you need to talk, we can talk." Phillip responded, before he walked away.

Chloe walked into her father's lab, where she discovered the reanimated Michael Coleman trying to attack her father. Chloe ran and pulled him away while Andrea stabbed Mr. Coleman in the head, killing him instantly. Milton calmed down instantly saying he would study his findings, and walked to his computer. Chloe marched to him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Chloe asked angrily.

"I was just doing an experiment." Milton replied nervously.

"Experiment my ass!" Chloe shouted. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"But I'm fine." Milton said, reassuringly.

"Just give up, okay!" Chloe shouted. "There's never going to be a cure! All you can do is shoot them in the head!"

"Chloe, I have to-"

"NO!" Chloe yelled, before she knocked the computer to the floor, and turning the table over. Milton backed away, as Chloe started knocking everything off the counters, and throwing the books off the shelf. She took a few deep breaths, before she marched out of the building, slamming the door, and leaving Andrea shocked, and her father shaken.

"What the hell was that?" Andrea asked in astonishment when she finally found her voice.

"I don't k-know." Milton stammered. "I-I've never seen her this angry before."

"Did she know about this before?" Andrea asked.

"She knew I was working on finding a cure." Milton admitted. "But she never knew about my experiments until today."

"I don't think it's the experiments she's concerned about." Andrea guessed. "I think she's worried about you."

"And I worry about her." Milton pointed out, looking at the mess his daughter had left.

"Do you need help cleaning up?" Andrea asked.

"No." Milton said. "But if you see that daughter of mine, I want to have a word with her."

Andrea nodded and left the building to see Chloe sitting outside against the wall. Chloe looked up at her, trying to hold back the tears. Andrea sat down next to her, and tried her best to comfort the frightened child.

"I didn't mean to do that." Chloe whispered. "Is he mad at me?"

"I think he's more scared than anything." Andrea replied. "He wants to talk to you."

Chloe waited until Andrea left before walking into the building. Milton was in the process of cleaning up the mess, but stopped when he saw his daughter had come in. Chloe looked at him briefly, before staring at the floor, not wanting to let him see her cry. Milton walked to her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Chloe, look at me." he demanded.

Chloe shook her head, continuing to look at the floor.

"Chloe, I'm not mad at you." Milton said, softly.

"You should be." Chloe mumbled. "Yell at me."

"I'm not going to yell at you!" Milton exclaimed

"You should." Chloe said "You should tell me that what I did was unacceptable, and that I should clean up the mess I made. How can you be so calm?"

"Would it make you feel better if you knew that I'm a little mad?" Milton asked.

Chloe looked at her father; he didn't look mad at all. He looked at his daughter with concern.

"Chloe Nora Mamet, you know I don't like it when you cry." he replied, but Chloe couldn't stop the tears. Milton took her in his arms, holding her close to him. "Okay, just let it all out."

"I'm sorry." Chloe sobbed.

"Shh, it's okay." Milton whispered. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Please stop with the nonsense." Chloe suggested.

Milton knew what she was talking about. As if he had a choice; she destroyed his computer, which contained his files. Chloe backed away, and looked at the mess she had made.

"I'll clean this up." Chloe said.

"Okay." Milton whispered. "Phillip needs me anyway."

Milton left Chloe alone. Chloe got to work cleaning up the mess, which took two and a half hours to clean. Chloe picked up a journal off the floor and opened it; she read one of the entries.

_**Day 56**_

_**It's only been a few months since we arrived at Woodbury, but to me it feels even longer. Before, we were stuck in a building eating nothing but sardines, and bottled water We had worked together to make this place our home. Needless to say that Chloe hates sardines more than she did before.**_

Chloe flipped trough the pages, reading more of the entries, before setting the book on the desk, and inspecting the lab. However, she decided to let her father inspect it, as well. He made sure everything was in the right place before turning to his daughter.

"All right, you get home and go to bed." Milton commanded.

Chloe walked out of the building to the apartment, and to the only bedroom in her house. He got into her pajamas, before laying down on the bed. She fell asleep quickly, but was later woken up by the sound of gun fire. Unable to get back to sleep, she got dressed, and walked outside. People were running, and there was tear gas everywhere. Phillip was giving his army instructions.

""We are under attack, don't take chances, try to take prisoners, but shoot to kill." he shouted

Chloe thought she saw an escaped prisoner being gunned down, and also saw a group of people, assuming they were here to rescue the two captives. Chloe jumped out of the way, as she saw a man with a crossbow run towards her. He stopped and they both stared at each other, he says something about needing to find his brother, and continues running. Chloe looks back at him. Is he Merle's brother? What was going on here?"

She saw Phillip walk into the build without acknowledging her presence. What she didn't know what that Michonne had snuck in and was waiting for him. Andrea was about to go inside, when she looked up towards the second floor.

"What is going on in there?" she wondered aloud.

Chloe and Andrea ran into the building and upstairs only to open the door to Michonne. The two were ready to face off, the Michonne walked out of the building, revealing Phillip who was cradling his daughter's body and had a shard of glass where his right eye had been. Chloe was shocked to see Penny in his arms. He was devastated, and in tears.

"Chloe, help me get Phillip to Dr. Steven's office." Andrea said.

Chloe gently pulled Penny's body away from Phillip, then helped Andrea get him outside and to Dr. Steven's office. She examined him, but all she could do was put a piece of gauze over his ruined eye.

"Phillip, you told me you shot her and buried her!" Chloe dictated

"What was with the tanks?" Andrea asked

"It was to help me prepare for the outside world." Phillip said.

Milton immediately walked in, followed by Merle.

"I just heard." Milton said

"What happened?" Merle asked

"I was attacked." Phillip indicated, glaring at Merle.

Chloe didn't like where this was going, especially since he demanded that all the residents be present at the arena. Phillip stood in the middle of the arena. Martinez had his gun pointed at Merle's head. Phillip was giving a speech.

"What can I say? Hasn't been a night like this since the walls were completed. And I thought we were past it- past the days when we all sat, huddled, scared in front of the TV during the early days of the outbreak. The fear we all felt then, we felt it again tonight. I failed you. I promised to keep you safe. Hell, look at me. You know, I- I should tell you that we'll be okay, that we're safe, that tomorrow we'll bury our dead and endure, but I- I won't, because I can't. Because I'm afraid. That's right. I'm afraid of terrorists who want what we have. Want to destroy us! And worse... because one of those terrorists... is one of our own. Merle" two Woodbury solders came with a man, who was bound and had a sack over his head."The man I counted on, the man I trusted. He led 'em here. And he let 'em in. It was you. You lied, betrayed us all. This is one of the terrorists." Phillip took the sack off, revealing the man Chloe had ran into earlier. "Merle's own brother. What should we do with them, huh?"

Everyone except Chloe, Milton and Andrea started demanding that the brothers be killed. The brothers looked at each other, not knowing what to say. They both looked surprised to see one another. Andrea tried to get close, but was stopped by one of the army members.

"Phillip, stop this!" Andrea demanded, struggling to get free

"Stay out of this, Andrea." Phillip commanded

"He's my friend." Andrea said

"It's not up for me to decide; the people have spoken." Phillip announced, turning to Merle. "I asked you where your loyalties lie, and you said here. Well prove it; brother against brother. Winner goes free." The crowd cheered loudly. "Fight to the death."

The crowd started cheering Merle.

"You all know me!" he announced, then he punched Daryl in the stomach. "And I'm going to do what ever I got to do to prove." another punch in the stomach. "That my loyalties are to this town."

The brothers started strangling each other, Merle told his brother to follow his lead- they were going to get out of this.

"Stay close to me, little brother."

While Daryl and Merle were attempting to escape, a gas grenade was thrown in to to the arena. People scrambled to get away. Milton shielded his daughter as they hurried out of the arena. Chloe took one look at Phillip. The man she knew was gone. The man who loved his daughter more than anything in the world- gone. The man who would bring home flowers to his wife- gone. The man who complained about his job and mediocre life- gone. He wasn't Phillip Blake anymore. Whoever he was, Chloe didn't like him.

**Okay, I hope that made up for the lack of action in the first two chapters. Sorry for leaving some things out, but it isn't necessary. I am going to bring Tyreese and his group into the story. Things are going to change, and most of it will not follow along with the show. Seriously, putting in every detail just seems like a waste of time if you ask me.**


	4. Chapter 4

The residents of Woodbury were so furious after the events that most of them were ready to leave, but the guards refused to open the gates, saying that it wasn't safe out there; everyone argued that it wasn't safe in Woodbury, either. Andrea had told everyone that in the future, people would write about Woodbury, and they would know the history, and how everyone worked together to survive. Chloe had listen closely to the speech, and believed every word. She also wondered if there would be any people to write the history in the future.

Milton knew that Chloe no longer trusted Phillip, but had asked that she at least pretended to. Phillip had asked Milton to take a day off from his work to spend time with his daughter. They both had spent most of their time outside, talking about what had happened the night before.

"You really don't think Merle would kill his own brother, do you?" Chloe asked. "I mean, you saw the way he was beating him."

"He only did it as a distraction." Milton replied. "I'm sure they're both back at the prison."

Chloe had wondered if Merle had even been accepted into the group; and if he had been, they were probably giving him a hard time.

"I heard Phillip is getting an army together." she acknowledged. "If you think for even a second, I'm going to take any part in it, you're crazy."

"I don't want you taking any part." Milton admitted.

"Good." Chloe replied.

In truth, Chloe was hoping that the group at the prison would get out of there before the war started.

"Where's Phillip?" she asked. "I haven't seen him since this afternoon.

"He said something about a going on a run." Milton replied. "Andrea was wondering where he was, too."

Phillip had returned from his "run" and told everyone different stories about where he had gone. Andrea begged him to let her go see the group at the prison; and he had advised Milton to keep an eye on her, not sure of where her loyaties lie. Milton later helped to assist Andrea to the prison at Phillip's request, but returned soon after with a group of four: Tyreese and his sister, Sasha, and Allen, and his son, Ben. They had been at the prison, but had to leave, saying that their leader had gone crazy, and were willing to join in the fight. Phillip agreed to let them stay as long as they wanted. Chloe got acquainted with them right away.

"If you need anything, everyone in Woodbury is willing to help." she said with a smile. "You all arent the first outsiders we've gotten; And you certainly won't be the last."

"So, we'll be safe here?" Allen asked.

"As long as those walls are standing, those walkers can't get in." Chloe assured the group.

Chloe smiled at the group before walking out of the room, where Phillip had been waiting for her.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" he asked

Chloe started to walk, but Phillip got in front of her. She looked into his remaining eye, trying to see if the Phillip she knew was still in there.

"Your father told me you're still upset about the events of the other night." Phillip acknowledged. "I promise you, this'll all be over soon, and we can get back to being a normal town."

"You tried to get Merle to kill his own brother!" Chloe scolded. "If Michonne hadn't left, those people would have never known that two of their own had been captured, and Merle wouldn't have been reunited with his brother! And those two captives would have been dead by now!"

"Who's side are you on?" Phillip asked, glaring fiercly at Chloe.

"I'm not on anyone's side." Chloe replied coldly before leaving the building.

Andrea returned later that night. It turned out that Phillip had taken a small army to the prison and there was a gun fight between the two groups, and that Phillip's group had unleashed a herd of walkers into the prison field. Andrea informed Phillip that the group consisted of eleven, including a newborn baby. The leader of the group, Rick Grimes agreed to a meeting, which would take place in a few days.

_Three days later..._

The meeting was being held in a barn; Chloe and Milton were forced by Martinez to come along with him and Andrea. Once they were there, Andrea, upset that the meeting had already started, walked into the building. Chloe looked at the two men from Rick's group. One of them she recognized as Daryl Dixon, the other was an elderly man with one leg, who had to use crutches to get around. Milton started taking notes in his journal, saying that the meeting would be important to the history of Woodbury.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked

"Milton Mamet."

"Great. He brought his butler along." Daryl muttered sarcastically, as he and Martinez held their guns at each other.

"I'm his advisor." Milton informed Daryl.

"What kind of advise?" Daryl asked.

"Planning, biters." Milton said, before realizing that it was none of Daryl's business. "I'm sorry, I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchman."

"You better watch your mouth, sunshine." Daryl warned.

"Look, if we're going to be standing here, pointing our guns at each other all day, do me a favor. Shut your mouth." Martinez advised. "If it all goes South in there, we maybe at each other's throats soon."

Chloe got between the two men and advise that they both saved their bullets, arrows and anything else for the walkers.

"Who are you?" Daryl asked.

"Chloe Mamet."

"She's my daughter." Milton added.

"I didn't scare you the other night, did I?" Daryl asked.

"No, but I'm surprised that you didn't put an arrow in my skull." Chloe admitted.

"And I'm surprised you didn't put a bullet in mine." Daryl chuckled lightly.

"I didn't even have a gun on me." Chloe revealed. "Is Merle alright?"

"He's trying to fit in." Daryl replied "I had to make him come back to the prison with me. Not everyone was too happy about it."

Chloe nodded, before walking to the elderly man, and introducing herself, and the man introduced himself as Hershel Greene. Andrea walked outside, and she Daryl and Martinez went to take down a group of walkers. Milton asked Hershel how he lost his leg.

"A walker bit me." Hershel replied. "Rick cut my leg off to save my life. We've got good people."

"How long after the bite?" Milton asked.

"Immediately." Hershel replied.

"Can I see it?" Milton asked "Your stump."

Chloe gave her father a strange look. Why did he want to look at Hershel's stump.

"I'm not showing you my leg!" Hershel interjected.

"I just want to see where the amputation was." Milton said."It's important data."

"I only just met you!" Hershel interjected again. "At least buy me a drink first."

Hershel laughed, and Milton laughed along, even though it wasn't really funny. Chloe scolded her father, saying that he shouldn't be asking to see someone's stump. Milton decided to change the subject quickly. They both talked about their families and their lives before the apocalypse. Hershel revealed that he had two daughters who were at the prison, and that he used to own a farm, but had to abandon it after walkers had taken over.

Rick and Phillip walked out of the barn; the groups had gotten in to their vehicles, Daryl getting on his motorcycle, and each group drove in different directions. As they were driving, Phillip informed them that if Rick handed Michonne over, he'd leave them alone, but when they got back into Woodbury, Phillip told Martinez that he wanted Michonne brought to him alive.

"You kill everyone else." He said

"What about the deal?" Milton asked

"We have to eliminate Rick sooner or later." Phillip stated. "No way we can live side by side."

"That's slaughter." Milton said, not happy with the plan.

"Not on our end." Phillip said, patting Milton on the shoulder.

Milton glared at the man, as he talked to Andrea. Chloe knew that Phillip was telling her something different from what she and Milton had just heard. Phillip Blake needed to be stopped. There has to be a way to prevent him from attacking the prison.


	5. Chapter 5

Milton informed Andrea of Phillip's plans, and she decided that he needed to be stopped. Milton didn't think she'd be able to, and taken her to the old warehouse, where Phillip had a torture room. Chloe had been watching from above when the two had arrived. Andrea pulled out her gun to shoot him, but Milton grabbed it from her. The three of them walk back to the apartment, where Milton advised Andrea to tell the people at the prison to get out of there.

"In time, he'll move on." Milton added.

"I have to kill him." Andrea stated.

"You'll never get close enough." Milton objected. "They'll gun you down first."

"Only if they see me coming." Andrea said "How can you still protect him after what he did?"

"Chloe and I knew Phillip before he became the Governor." Milton stated. "That man is still exists."

"I'm going back to the prison; and you and Chloe are coming with me." Andrea added.

"We can't leave." Milton objected "We don't know anyone at the prison."

"But you know Merle!" Andrea interjected. "He'd fit in."

"We can't leave." Milton said "Like it or not, we belong here."

"Don't you want what's best for your daughter?" Andrea asked.

"I'll make sure she stays safe." Milton promised.

Andrea kissed Milton and gave Chloe a smile before leaving. Tyreese and Sasha had been guarding the wall on the farther side of town when Andrea climbed over. They tried to stop her, but she told the siblings that Phillip wasn't who he said he was. Tyreese had informed Phillip that Andrea had escaped. Milton told him to let Andrea go, she wanted to be with her people. Phillip grabbed Milton by his jacket, and slammed him against a wall

"What did you say to her?" he asked, growling

"N-nothing." Milton stammered.

"Leave him alone." Chloe ordered.

Phillip pushed Milton to the ground before walking away. Chloe helped him to his feet.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Milton said, looking at Phillip with a look of anger.

Phillip had left town to go look for Andrea. Chloe and Milton were hoping that she would make it to the prison, and that they would get out of there soon. It took the rest of the day, and the entire night before Phillip returned. During the night, someone had gone to the outskirts of Woodbury where a walker pit was located, and set the walkers on fire. Phillip was informed of it upon his return to Woodbury. He had told everyone that he didn't find Andrea.

"Is she dead?" Milton asked.

"I hope not." Phillip replied.

"It's a real shame about the pits." Milton added.

"You found out about that, huh?" Phillip asked, staring at Milton.

"I hope you find out who did it." Milton said.

"Already have." Phillip said, assuringly.

The two men glared at each other before Milton walked away from him, with Phillip glaring back at him. Chloe saw the whole thing from her window, and was now afraid that her father's life was in danger. If he was the one who set the pits on fire, it was the first time he had ever stood his ground. Milton was always timid, and constantly nervous, and not just because he was worried about his daughter, but also because he needed to save his friend.

Later that day, Phillip had taken his army to the silos for practice. While there, they were attacked. There were several casualties including Ben. Chloe asked Phillip who caused the attack, but he told her not to worry about it. She wondered if one of the members of the prison group; she would later find out who it was, and would learn that Phillip had killed him in revenge, but that he sacrificed himself to save his people.

Chloe stayed up later than usual, afraid that something was going to happen. Milton woke up, and saw his daughter looking out the window. He got out of bed and walked to her; she stood up, and hugged him. He hugged her back, and felt her shaking.

"You all right?" he asked, very concerned.

"No." Chloe whispered

"You need to sleep." Milton stated, walking her over to her bed. He helped her get in and pulled the blanket over her.

"I think something bad is going to happen." Chloe confessed. "Can you wake me up when you get up?"

"Of course." Milton promised. "You go to sleep."

Milton stayed by Chloe's side until she fell asleep, then got into his own bed. He looked at his daughter before falling asleep, hoping that she would feel better in the morning. The only thing is, they wouldn't be asleep for very long.

"Wake up, traitor!"

Milton jumped awake, seeing Phillip standing over him. Chloe woke up with a start, and cowered against the wall.

"It was you!" Phillip shouted. "You set the pit on fire! I was planning on using those walkers on Rick and his people."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Milton trembled.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Phillip shouted, before narrowing his eye. "What's the one thing most precious to you?"

He turned to Chloe, and gave a sinister smile. Milton realized what he was about to do.

"No, please." he begged. "Take me instead. Leave her alone. You can have me."

Phillip chuckled evilly. "No, I want to see you crack."

"Please, let her go." Milton begged, tears flooding out of his eyes. "You can take me instead. Let her go, pl-"

Phillip knocked Milton out, and checked to make sure he was out cold before advancing on Chloe, who ran towards the door before Phillip grabbed her.

"You're not getting away from me!" he growled, as he dragged her out of the building.

"Please, let me go." Chloe begged. "I haven't done anything."

"Shut up!" Phillip growled, dragging her towards the warehouse.

Chloe screamed and begged, but the only people who had saw and heard her were the three guarding the wall: Martinez, Tyreese, and Sasha.


	6. Chapter 6

"Did you see that?" Sasha shrieked, her eye wide.

"That man is crazy!" Tyreese exclaimed.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Sasha asked. "What if he's in there killing her right now? Where's her father?"

Martinez was in shock at what he had just witnessed; he had never seen Phillip Blake try to hurt the girl, let alone even think about it. He would have taken a bullet for her if he could, and now he probably would get out of the way just to let her be shot.

"We have to help her." Martinez said, climbing down from the wall.

"But we have to guard the wall!" Sasha argued.

"There are more important things than guarding the stupid wall!" Martinez scolded. "I've known that kid since before these walls were built! The last thing I want is for her blood to be spilled!" he started climbing down the ladder. "You coming or not?"

Tyreese and Sasha knew they didn't have a choice, after all, a child's life was in danger. They walked to the apartment building where Martinez told the siblings to stay outside. He ran inside, up the stairs, and into Milton and Chloe's apartment. He called for Milton, only to find him passed out on his bed.

"Oh, God." Martinez panicked, as he started trying to wake Milton up. "Milton, wake up! Can you hear me? Come on, man; you gotta get up!"

Milton woke up startled. He looked around, before he saw that Martinez was in the room.

"Caesar, I- Oh, God. Chloe? Where is she? Where has he taken her?" Milton Panicked. "Caesar-"

"I know." Martinez said sympathetically. "I saw him taking her to the old warehouse. Tyreese and Sasha saw it, too."

"You gotta help me." Milton begged. "Please, if anything happens to her, I won't be able to live with it."

"Just calm down." Martinez spoke softly. "Nothing's going to happen to her. I promise. We'll get there before he can do any terrible damage to her."

"He has to die." Milton replied. "If he kills her, I'll kill him."

Martinez nodded. He knew that Phillip didn't deserve to live now. God forbid, if Chloe was already dead- no they needed to stop wasting time.

"Milton, get up, and get dressed." he ordered "We'll be waiting for you outside."

Martinez left the room; Milton didn't need to be told twice. He was dressed and out the door in less than five minutes.

In the warehouse, Phillip held Chloe against a wall, making sure to hold her tightly so she couldn't get away from him; she already had a cut near her left ear and under her left eye. Phillip had thought about taking the eye out, but decided against it; instead, he had a different idea.

"We're going to play a little game." he muttered sinisterly. "I'm going to see how many cuts it takes before you bleed out and die; then I'm going to take you back to the apartment where you're going to reanimate and tear your father apart; then, I'm going to shoot you both in the head. You kill or you die, or you die, then you kill. That's the way things work in life now."

"Your daughter would be afraid of you." Chloe sputtered.

"Yes." Phillip agreed coldy. "But if I had been like this from the start, she'd still be alive. Hey, it's okay. It'll all be over soon."

"You won't get away with this." Chloe choked.

"Shh. Stop talking." Phillip whispered, with an evil grin, as he held his knife to Chloe's right arm. "You know, they say the first cut is the deepest."

Chloe screamed as the knife broke through her skin, and slid, tearing her apart. Phillip shushed her, but she only kept screaming. He put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, as he started making a new wound. Chloe could feel the blood running down her face and her arm. She prayed that it would be over quickly; she prayed to God to take her now, and to punish Phillip for all his evil doings. She prayed that her father wouldn't suffer the consquences. That man wasn't Phillip any more. He didn't even deserve to be called Governor. He was no longer the caring man he used to be. No, he was a monster; a monster who would prefer to kill instead of talk.

Chloe thought she heard footsteps; she listened as they got closer and closer...

"Phillip!" Milton shouted, pointing a gun at the man. He was closely followed by Martinez, Tyreese and Sasha, who also had guns drawn.

"Oh, this is perfect." Phillip grinned, menacingly, "Did you come to watch your little girl die?"

"Phillip, let her go." Milton begged. "You can do what ever you want to me, but just let her go."

"I don't think so." Phillip chuckled. "You're about to find out what it's like to lose a daughter. I imagine it won't be the same as losing a son."

Phillip started cutting a new wound into Chloe's arm. Milton walked behind Phillip and put his gun to the back of the man's head. Phillip slowly lowered his knife, and removed the hand he was using to keep Chloe quiet; he grinned coldly.

"Milton, put that down." he ordered.

"Not until you let my daughter go!" Milton demanded.

"Oh, I plan on doing exactly that!" Phillip replied, snidely.

Martinez snuck his own knife into Chloe's right hand; she grabbed a hold of it, feeling herself shaking from the loss of blood. Her hand trembled, as she aimed the knife to the one place she wanted it to go. Tyreese and Sasha stood near by, not knowing what was about to happen.

"It'll all be over soon." Phillip told Milton. "It's just like falling asleep; Then, I'll leave you alone to- oh!"

Phillip turned to Chloe, looking at her with remorse. He looked down at the knife that had been punctured into his abdomen. Chloe quickly pulled it out, allowing the blood to spill. Phillip backed away from her, and collapsed to the wall on the opposite side. Milton ran to his daughter, grabbing her before she collapsed.

"It's okay." he said. "I'm here; I've got you."

"Andrea..." Phillip choked, as the blood continued to rush out. "She's in the room next door. I put her in there to keep her from escaping again."

"Did you hurt her?" Sasha asked furiously

Phillip could only shake his head. He took one last look at Chloe. He looked at her with sympathy, wondering how he could hurt her like that. He had known her since she was a baby, and never wanted to hurt her. He would have never hurt a child, let alone if that child belonged to his best friend.

"I never wanted any of this. I didn't want to hurt you." Phillip managed to say before the convulsions kicked in. He continued looking at Chloe until everything went black. Chloe allowed the knife to slip out of her fingers and land on the floor.

What have I done? She thought. I killed a person. A living, breathing person. I had to do it, though. I did it to save my father.

Chloe had to hold the tears back as she watched Phillip die. She had saved him from himself, but also save other lives from him. She killed that monster and set him free.

Tyreese and Sasha went to go get Andrea while Martinez stayed with Milton, who was holding his daughter in his arms; she was shivering, and very weak.

"Chloe, look at me." he begged. "Come on, stay with me. Keep looking at me. You're going to be fine. Stay with me, okay?"

"Daddy." Chloe muttered weakly.

"I'm here." Milton whispered softly. "You're safe now."

Martinez checked to make sure Phillip was really dead before putting a bullet in his head to prevent reanimation.

"I had to do it." Chloe whispered.

"I know." Milton whispered, as his daughter was starting to lose consciousness. "Oh, God. Chloe? No, please! Caesar, she's losing more blood. We need to get her to the clinic."

Tyreese and Sasha walked back out with Andrea, who was weak, but able to walk. Sasha supported her to keep her from falling to the ground. Andrea was shocked when she saw the state Chloe was in, then looked at Phillip's body lying on the floor. Martinez helped Milton get Chloe to her feet, but she only lost her balance.

"She won't be able to walk." Milton said, panicking.

"I got her." Tyreese said, lifting the girl into his arms. "You hang in there, sweetheart; you ain't dying on us."

Martinez put an arm around Milton, who was allowing the tears to flow out his eyes. The group walked out of the warehouse, and into the early morning daylight. The few people who were outside looked at the group. A few of the women put their hands over their mouths upon seeing the state Chloe was in. Martinez demanded that everyone moved out of the way, and banged endlessly on the door of the clinic until Dr. Stevens opened the door. Chloe was already unconscious.

"Oh, dear." she exclaimed, moving out of the way.

Tyreese carried Chloe into a room, and laid her on the bed. Sasha helped Andrea into a chair; Andrea demanded that Dr. Stevens look after Chloe first.

"I'm fine. Just a little dehydrated that's all." she insisted. "But Chloe needs help more than I do."

Dr. Stevens decided it was best not to argue. She ordered one of the nurses to give Andrea some water while she looked after Chloe. Martinez held Milton back, comforting him, as they watched Dr. Steven stabilize the girl. She found a pulse, but it was very weak. She asked Sasha to bring her two pints of blood out of the refrigerator in the back room.

"What's her blood type?" Sasha asked.

"B positive." Milton replied.

Sasha ran to the back room, and came back a minute later, and gave the bags to Dr. Stevens, who had already inserted a tube into Chloe's left arm. She attached one of the bags to the tube, and watched closely as the blood started flowing into Chloe's weakened body. Once that bag was empty, Dr. Stevens removed it and immediately put the other one on, the removed that one once it was empty. She put bandages over the wounds under Chloe's eye and near her ear, then stitched up the wounds on her arm; she then checked for a pulse.

"Her heart beat is getting stronger." she said reassuringly.

"Is she going to be okay?" Milton asked.

"It's going to be touch and go until she wakes up; if she ever wakes up." Dr. Stevens added. "Milton, you understand what's going to have to happen if things take a turn for the worse."

"I know." Milton whispered.

"May I ask who did this to her?" Dr Steven asked.

"Phillip." Milton muttered angrily.

Dr Stevens gasped." Why would he do such a thing? I thought he cared about her."

"He did it to get back at me for burning those walkers." Milton admitted regretfully. "If I had known that my daughter's life was going to be in danger, I wouldn't have done it."

"If we hadn't gotten there in time, Chloe would be dead by now." Martinez added.

"Where is Phillip?" Dr. Stevens growled.

"Dead." Tyreese said plainly. "Chloe killed him, but he managed to tell us where Andrea was before he- well, you know."

"Well, I for one, am glad he's dead." Dr. Stevens asserted.

"He showed a little remorse though." Sasha added. "It was as if Chloe had set him free."

"Shame on him for hurting a child!" Dr. Stevens exclaimed. "Why did you burn the walkers?"

"I didn't want there to be a war between us and the prison." Milton admitted.

"And there isn't going to be." Martinez added. "Phillip isn't here anymore, so there isn't any reason to attack the prison."

Andrea had been listening closely to the conversation. She looked at Milton, watching as he begged his daughter to wake up.

"Chloe, wake up and look at me." he whispered. "This is all my fault. I don't even deserve to be a father."

Dr. Stevens had heard what Milton said, and immediately marched into the room.

"Milton Joseph Mamet!" She scolded. "If anyone deserves to be a father to that girl, it's you! How dare you say something like that? I am absolutely appalled! If I ever hear you say that again, I am going to beat some sense into you!"

Milton only nodded. He was too afraid to speak; everyone in the room was laughing, but stopped once they saw that Milton wasn't laughing.

"I'm going back to the prison." Andrea said "You and Chloe are coming with me."

"Andrea we can't-"

"Milton, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." Andrea interrupted. "It's safe there; I'm sure you and Chloe will be accepted."

"How can you be sure of that?" Milton asked.

"Do you really want to keep your daughter here after what's happened to her?" Andrea said "Milton, Phillip is dead! He can't tell you what to do anymore! You have no reason to stay here! At least do it for the safety of your child!"

Milton hesitated for a few minutes, but gave in, knowing he didn't have a choice.

"Okay, as soon as Chloe feels better, we'll leave." He agreed. "The sooner we get her away from here, the better."

"Dad?" Chloe asked in a small weak voice.

"Chloe? Oh, thank God." Milton sighed with relief, taking his daughter's hand. "How you feeling?"

"Like I've been kicked around." Chloe replied softly. "Dad, I want to go with Andrea."

"We'll leave as soon as you're better." Milton promised.

"And I'm going to make sure you all get there." Martinez added. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with the soldiers."

Martinez walked out of the clinic, to see that Allen standing outside.

"Hey, what happened?" He asked. "Everyone is saying that Chloe was injured."

"She's fine now." Martinez assured his friend. "Phillip attacked her. It turns out he wanted to get revenge on Milton because he burned the walkers. He wanted to kill Chloe, and was going to make Milton watch. Chloe only had enough strength to stab him. I put a bullet in his head."

"Good!" Allen chided. "Is she all right now?"

"She'll be fine." Martinez replied with relief. "She just woke up. We need to talk to the soldiers, tell them that the battle is being cancelled. Now that Phillip is dead, we don't have to do this."

Allen nodded in agreement, and he and Martinez walked in separate directions, and started gathering the soldiers, leading them to the middle of the town.

"Listen up!" Martinez shouted "Now, as you all know, we're supposed to be going to the prison. But that won't be happening. Phillip put a life in danger; a child's life."

A few of the soldier's gasped, many others whispered.

"And that was enough to make me want to back out of the fight." Martinez continued

"Where is Phillip?" Karen asked

"He's dead." Martinez replied.

Everyone began cheering.

"Serves him right!"

"Yeah!"

Allen shouted at them to be quiet and let Martinez speak.

"Now, we're going to go back to our normal lives, and we're going to transform this town." Martinez said. "We are going to expand the town past the walls."

Martinez started giving his soldiers directions, telling them to clean up the messes on the other side of both walls, and remove the cars. He told others to notify the residents. Everyone pitched in to help with the transformation, hoping that it would make for a better future.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a few more days before Chloe was allowed to leave the clinic. Dr. Stevens examined her first, and gave her some antibiotics to get rid any possible infections, and some pain medication as well, and informed her that the stitches could be removed in a week. She also removed the bandages from beneath her eye and next to her ear, but regretfully said that she couldn't do anything about the scars that had formed.

"It could be worse." Chloe admitted. "I could have a scar across half of my face."

"But I'm glad you don't." Dr. Stevens asserted, giving Chloe a bag containing two bottles of pills. "You make sure to take those antibiotics three times a day until they're all gone, take the pain medication when you need it, but make sure you eat something when you take them; and get those stitches removed after a week. And avoid any strenuous activities for a while."

"I'll do that." Chloe promised.

"Now, you go on." Dr. Stevens said with a gentle smile. "Don't need to keep your father waiting."

Chloe thanked Dr. Stevens before leaving the building. He had to walk slowly The first thing she noticed when she stepped outside was that the walls were gone, and the warehouse had been torn down. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked right at her. Chloe gave a brief smile before walking across the street where her father had been waiting. Allen was standing close by, and smiled at Chloe when she got across the street.

"What's going on here?" she asked

"Everyone is expanding the town." Milton replied.

"What about the walls?" Chloe asked "This town is going to be exposed to walkers now."

"We're going to rebuild the walls a little further away from where they were." Allen replied."We've actually have people working on it right now."

"Well, you'd better, if you don't want a massacre!" Chloe exclaimed.

"It's amazing how a child could make this all happen." Allen said, smiling.

Milton turned to Allen, staring at him for a minute.

"She's not a child." he responded. "Not anymore."

Chloe wasn't going to argue with that. Just a week ago, she had been living in fear, now she had nothing to worry about. Well, except maybe walkers, but she was ready for the world. Ready for whatever the future had in store for her. But mostly, she was ready to leave Woodbury.

"When are we leaving?" she asked.

"Soon." Milton replied "Andrea's inside packing up."

Chloe walked into the apartment, and found Andrea in the bedroom, looking through a photo album. Andrea immediately closed the book when she saw that Chloe was in the room.

"I was just-" Andrea hesitated.

"It's okay." Chloe said softly.

"Your brother looks just like your father." Andrea said. "A perfect splitting image. And you look a lot like your mother. Except the hair."

"I know." Chloe agreed. "My mother used to tell me I'd follow in my father's footsteps."

"Were you going to?" Andrea asked.

"I was planning on becoming a biologist." Chloe admitted. "The only problem with that was I hate spiders."

"Can't blame you there." Andrea chuckled. "I don't like spiders, either. We just need to get these boxes out to the car."

Chloe moved forward to help, but Andrea stopped her, and told her that she didn't need to make her injuries even worse. Andrea told her to go wait outside, and Chloe obeyed the orders, but not before taking one last look at the apartment. She left without a second glance, and walked outside. Milton and Martinez were waiting by the car Rick had given Andrea the night she returned from her trip to the prison. Martinez walked inside to help Andrea with the boxes.

"Dad, you know I had to do it, right?" Chloe asked.

"He was going to kill you." Milton said with remorse. "And probably me, too. You didn't have a choice."

"Are we going to be all right now?" Chloe asked. "Will we be safe?"

"I don't know." Milton replied. "It's not the same world out there. We have to look out for one another."

Chloe nodded in agreement. Ten minutes later, Andrea and Martinez had gotten all the boxes into the trunk. Martinez decided that he would drive. Andrea got in the passengers seat; Chloe and Milton sat in the back, preferring to be near one another. Martinez made sure everyone was wearing a seat belt before starting the car. Everyone moved out of the way to let the car pass through. Chloe took one last look at the town until it was out of sight, then she turned back around, looking out the front window.

"How far is the prison?" she asked

"Five miles." Andrea replied "It won't take us long to get there."

Chloe was quiet for the rest of the ride; Milton kept an arm around her, as they both looked out the window. Walkers were scattered all over the street, and stumbling out of the woods. Martinez had to drive slowly to get through the line of abandoned vehicles; he had also managed to run a few walkers over. He didn't have time to stop and get out to shoot them. Occasionally Andrea would turn around to make sure Milton and Chloe were all right.

"We're almost there." she said with a smile.

"I can see that." Chloe said, looking the front window as they drove closer to the prison. "Yeah, that's a prison all right."

Martinez stopped the car at the gates. There were four people outside; three with guns pointed at the car; Daryl Dixon had his crossbow ready to shoot the first person to step out of the car. Rick Grimes walked closer to the inner gate. Andrea slowly opened the door.

"Rick!" she called out. "Rick! It's me!"

"Andrea?" Rick called back

"You have to let us in!" Andrea demanded.

Rick nodded without hesitation. He backed away. "Glenn, Maggie, open the gates."

It didn't take long for Chloe to realize they were the ones who had been held captive in Woodbury by Merle.

Glenn and Maggie opened both gates, allowing Martinez to drive through both, and made sure to close the gates once they were all in the prison yard. Chloe and Milton got out of the car at Andrea's orders, and followed her to where Rick was standing. Martinez started grabbing the boxes out of the trunk. Glenn and Maggie immediately offered to help, which Martinez was grateful for.

"Welcome home." he announced with a smile.

"Thank you." Andrea smiled back.

Rick looked from Andrea to Milton and Chloe; He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it once he saw the scars on her face.

"Did the Governor do that to her?" he asked

Andrea nodded with sadness.

"You should introduce me to your friends." Rick pointed out.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Andrea replied. "This is my friend Milton Mamet, and his daughter, Chloe. This is Rick Grimes, and that was Glenn and Maggie who opened the gates. You've already met Daryl."

Chloe looked at Daryl; he looked as if he had lost someone.

"Let's get you inside." Rick said with a smile.

Milton kept close to his daughter as they followed Rick into the prison and to the cafeteria where the rest of the group was gathered. Rick started introducing the father and daughter to everyone.

"You already know Michonne and Hershel; he's Maggie's father, and next to him is her sister, Beth, and that's Carol by the window, and over here is my son, Carl, and my daughter, Judith."

"No, her name is Little Asskicker!" Daryl joked.

Carol got up from her chair, and offered to get them something to eat. Rick led them both to where Hershel and Beth were sitting. Rick asked him to take a look at Chloe.

"I'm okay." Chloe said "I'll have to get the stitches removed in a week."

"We can use more people." Hershel admitted. "We need all the help we can get.

"There isn't going to be a fight." Chloe announced. "Phillip's dead. I stabbed him. Caesar shot him to keep him from turning."

Caesar looked at Chloe, astounded that she had said his first name.

"Good!" Daryl sneered. "Ain't no place in the world for a bastard like him."

Chloe looked at Daryl, and realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Merle?"

Everyone was quiet. Chloe thought Daryl would get angry at the mention of his brother, but he only looked at her with sadness.

"Dead. The Governor killed him." Daryl said softly. "I found him reanimated over by the silos and put him out of his misery."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Chloe muttered.

Daryl only nodded. Carol brought out two bowls and set them in front of Chloe and Milton.

"It's canned beef stew." she announced. "I know it's not much."

"Thank you." Chloe said with a smile, and started eating right away.

Milton smiled as his daughter ate the food that was put in front of her.

"I am never letting you out of my sight again." he remarked.

"What?" Chloe asked astonished.

"I'm not kidding!" Milton joked. "I am going to find a pair of handcuffs and you're going to stay close to me."

"Dad!" Chloe complained, punching her father in the shoulder. "What if I have to go to the bathroom?"

"Okay! I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Milton said, as his daughter continued to punch him. "Stop it! Stop punching me."

"Then, don't tease me like that." Chloe said, before turning away laughing.

"Are you laughing?" Milton asked, shocked at what he was seeing. "Chloe you haven't laughed since before we left home."

"Maybe I'm starting to accept things now." Chloe guessed. "Is the entire prison safe?"

"Just the cell block we're staying in and the cafeteria." Glenn said "It's better if you stayed in those two areas, and in the field near the gates."

Martinez had a talk with Rick before leaving to go back to Woodbury. He would come back to check on everyone in a few days. Chloe and Milton finished their meals. Rick suggested they go get some rest. Chloe and Milton found an empty cell. Milton took the mattresses off the bunk beds, and laid them on the floor.

"I'd rather sleep on the floor." he said, as he helped his daughter onto one of the mattresses, and put a blanket over her. He got into the bed next to her, took his glasses off, and set them near the wall. He laid down, and smiled at his daughter.

"I love you." he said. "More than anything in this world."

"I love you, too Dad." Chloe said softly. "You still nervous?"

"Not anymore." Milton replied "Before Phillip died, he was always telling me what to do, and I had to obey his orders. I was afraid of what he might do I if I didn't."

"So, what do we do now?" Chloe asked.

"We keep living." Milton replied. "For as long as we can."

Chloe didn't say anything else. She closed her eyes, knowing that as long as her father was there, nothing could hurt her. Milton knew he would still be nervous, worrying about his daughter, but he wouldn't have to worry if someone was going to hurt her; the walkers were their only enemies now.


	8. Chapter 8

Martinez returned three days later to check in on Chloe, Milton, and Andrea; he and Rick had a brief discussion, both agreeing to make a truce, putting the rivalry at rest. Rick also informed Martinez that everyone was settling in, and he made sure that Chloe was with someone almost all the time, to which Martinez warned that Chloe needed some space and would get annoyed very easily if someone bothered her when she didn't want to be bothered.

"That girl is a fighter." Martinez admitted. "I want to talk to her one last time before I leave."

"Of course." Rick agreed. "Hey, Chloe. Caesar would like to have a talk with you."

Chloe got up from the bottom stair, and walked to Martinez. He held out a revolver and a bag of bullets for her.

"You've earned it." he said "Don't worry, your father knows I'm giving it to you."

"Thank you." Chloe said, accepting the revolver and bullets. "I'm pretty useless without a weapon."

"You take care of yourself." Martinez said with a gentle smile."And take care of your father."

"I will." Chloe promised. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

"Don't say that." Martinez said. "We may meet up again someday."

"It all depends on where this life takes us." Chloe declared. "You look out after everyone in Woodbury."

"I will." Martinez promised. "And stay out of trouble."

Chloe smiled at Martinez, who smiled back before turning and leaving. Chloe decided it was time to leave Woodbury in the past, and had begun to realize that she was never really happy there. She immediately loaded some bullets into the revolver, and tied the bag to her pocket, wanting to keep the bullets with her at all times.

"You know how to shoot?" Rick asked.

Chloe nodded. "Merle taught me. Was he ever accepted here?"

"We let him into our group for Daryl." Rick replied. "I tell you right now, if Merle was still alive, we'd make him a part of the team. He gave his life to save ours."

"He sacrificed himself." Chloe acknowledged. "I think Merle deserves to be honored as a part of the team."

"You did avenge his death." Rick pointed out. "And you also saved our lives."

"I think I also saved Phillip." Chloe revealed. "Before he died, he was the person he was before all this started. It really doesn't seem right to have to kill someone to save them."

"I had to kill my best friend to save myself." Rick admitted. "Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices, and sometimes you have to kill to save the ones you love, even yourself."

Chloe nodded in agreement, knowing that life was valuable to anyone who was willing to protect others.

A few weeks later, Chloe was guarding the gates waiting for Glenn and Maggie to return from a supply run when Michonne walked to her. They both stood by the gate, not speaking for a long time. Chloe, who was tired of listening to nothing but the walkers growling in the prison yard, decided to start a conversation.

"You know, we got off to a bad start; that doesn't mean that we can't be friends now, does it? I mean, we both got what we wanted."

"I kind of wish I had been there." Michonne admitted.

"You would have slashed him until there was nothing left." Chloe added. "I actually thought about taking out his other eye, but I decided it wasn't worth it to see him suffer."

"He probably wouldn't have wanted to live if you had." Michonne guessed. "I think we're even now."

"We are." Chloe assured Michonne, as Glenn and Maggie were returning. "Can you help me with the gates?"

Michonne nodded with a smile, and helped Chloe open the gates. Once the car was through, they shut both gates, and Glenn and Maggie stepped out of the car; Glenn pulled a lever to open the trunk, while Chloe went around to help bring in the supplies.

"You should have just brought the entire store with you." Chloe joked upon seeing the boxes.

"We grabbed what we could." Maggie said, with a small chuckle, giving a box to Chloe. "It's not too heavy."

Chloe took the box, and headed into the prison, closely followed by Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne. They set the boxes on the nearest table in the cafeteria. Glenn started going through all the boxes, sorting everything on a shelf. Chloe helped him, not wanting to see him do all the work. The supplies were mostly baby formula, and diapers, but there was also food, bottled water, and several flashlights. There were also some new clothes and toys for Judith. Glenn put the boxes aside, so they could be used again on the next run. He thanked Chloe, before going to talk to Hershel. Chloe sat down at a table next to Carol, who was holding Judith. Milton joined them seconds later.

"It's a good thing the little one is too young to know what's going on in the world." he said, as he sat down. "Hopefully by the time she grows up, this will all be over."

"We'll have to see about that." Carol proclaimed. "Chloe, can you hold the baby while I get a bottle ready for her."

"I've never held a baby." Chloe admitted nervously.

"It's okay." Carol said, as she gently set the baby into Chloe's arms. "Just keep your arms around her. Put your hand there, her head needs support. There you go. I'll be right back."

Chloe was timid about holding the baby at first, but the longer she held Judith, the more she got used to it. Carol came back with the bottle, and gave it to Chloe, showing her how to feed the baby. For someone who had never fed or held a baby before, Chloe sure had mastered it quickly. She talked to the baby in a gentle voice.

"Is that good?" she asked. "You like that? Do you prefer to be called Judith or Little Asskicker."

"Daryl came up with that name." Carol chuckled. "She got her nickname before she got her real name."

"That's good stuff isn't it?" Chloe asked the baby.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" Carol asked.

"I wanted to get my life settled first." Chloe replied. "I'm still too young to be thinking about that."

"You seem to be really comfortable with her." Milton pointed out.

"I don't think I'd even had time for a baby." Chloe said, as she gently set the baby into Carol's arms. "I'll help with feedings, but you all are on your own with diaper changings."

"Okay, so you're almost comfortable taking care of a baby." Carol acknowledged. "It's something you pick up at once you become a parent."

Chloe had decided long ago, that as long as life was chaotic, it wasn't worth it to bring a child into the world, but she thought that Judith was a symbol of hope to everyone.

During the next several months, there were a lot of supply runs, and walker kills. Autumn was getting near, and the weather would be getting colder, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be any walkers around. Everything was fine, until a group showed up wanting shelter. Rick refused to grant them entry, but the group, consisting of ten men, and six women, but no children, promised they would only stay for one night. But as they didn't have any kids, Rick couldn't let them in, for fear they would try to hurt the members of his group. He said he would allow them to set up a camp on the grounds, and ordered them to be gone before sunrise. The leader agreed to it, but he had a vengeful look in his eyes; as soon as Rick had walked away, he was telling his group about an idea he had.

Everyone was getting settled in for the night. Rick was having a quick meeting with everyone; he informed them that he and Daryl would take turns standing guard, and that if any of those people came into the prison, they would be shot on sight. Everyone began asking questions; Rick answered them as best as he could, and promised that as long as he and Daryl were there, no one had to worry.

"Those people are not to be trusted." He warned. "If we let them in, they could take everything we have, and even take a few lives. We can't risk it."

"Rick-" Chloe started saying.

"Everyone should try to sleep." Rick advised. "They should be gone by morning."

"Rick-" Chloe repeated.

"Wouldn't it be better to have two people guarding?" Glenn asked. "Just in case one of them tries to hurt someone?"

"I think you're right." Rick agreed. "We sh-"

"RICK!" Chloe shouted.

Rick turned to Chloe, curious about what she had to say.

"I smell smoke."

**To be continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

Rick looked at Chloe, not believing a word she said until everyone else agreed that the smelled smoke; he told Daryl to go outside and find out what the cause of the smoke was. Daryl obeyed Rick orders, and ran out of the prison. He quickly returned out of breath, and with a look of worry on his face.

"The prison is on fire." he panted.

"Why the hell is the prison on fire?" Glenn asked. "We've all been here the whole time!"

"It's those hooligans." Carol muttered. "They're trying to smoke us out so they can take the prison."

"We need to be prepared just in case." Rick announced. "Let's grab everything we can; Carl, you take Judith and go with Beth and Hershel. I don't want either of you here if things take a turn for the worse."

Carl nodded, and ran to get his and Judith's belongings with Maggie's help. Beth pulled a car up close to the entrance, got out, and helped Maggie get the items into the trunk; Daryl opened the gates, then ran back inside, shouting to everyone that the fire was spreading and they needed to hurry. Carl held Judith close to him. As long he had her, she was safe. Glenn was helping Hershel out to the car when a herd of walkers stumbled towards them, with Beth, Maggie and Carl telling them to hurry; both men used their weapons to take down the walkers. Rick ran outside and screamed as Hershel got in front of Glenn and took a bite in the arm for him. Beth and Maggie ran to their father, in tears, and shouting in panic. Rick ran to the scene, shooting every walker in the process.

"What do we do?" Beth asked, sobbing.

"Go." Hershel ordered. "Glenn, you get my girls and the children out of here."

Glenn shook his head, tears gleaming in his eyes; Hershel insisted that Glenn leave him behind, as there was no way he was going to make it. Glenn promised he'd get everyone to safety. Maggie and Beth were refusing to leave their father, but Glenn said there was nothing they could do. The girls refused to to leave their father.

"We can't just leave him!" Maggie yelled.

"You have to." Glenn said calmly. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. He's giving his life to save ours."

"Maggie, you and Beth have to go with Glenn." Hershel demanded weakly.

Maggie nodded her head. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too." Hershel replied. "And I love you, Bethy."

"Love you, too, Daddy." Beth sobbed.

Maggie helped her sister to her feet, and Glenn helped them inside the car, asking Carl to sit in the front with Judith; Maggie and Beth got into the back seat, hugging each other closely.

"You have to go." Rick demanded. "As far as you can."

Glenn nodded, before starting the car and driving off. Rick watched until the car was out of sight, then looked down at Hershel, and checked to see if he was gone yet. Rick couldn't find a pulse, so he held his gun to the elderly man's head, and apologized regretfully before pulling the trigger, preventing reanimation; he then put Hershel's body in the back of the truck and covered him with a tarp, in order to give him a proper burial later. He walked back inside, his face white and sullen. Everyone stopped working, asking what had happened.

"Hershel's dead." he announced in a broken voice. "Everyone needs to hurry. I don't want anymore casualties."

The news of Hershel's death encouraged everyone to work quickly. Chloe was trying to compose herself, after hearing the news. Just the other day, she and Hershel had been joking around, and now, he was gone; the two of them had gotten to know each other very well, and Chloe talked to him as much as she could.

"Who's that?" Milton asked, pointing towards the cafeteria entrance.

Chloe turned to see a woman with messy hair and a sinister smile. Chloe shouted running after the woman.

"Chloe, don't!" Milton shouted after her.

But Chloe had already chased the woman through the cafeteria, and into a corridor. The cloud of smoke was getting stronger, making it hard so see. Chloe covered her hand with her mouth, but her eyes and nose were stinging. The woman was soon joined up by the remaining members of our group.

"Let's keep running." Their leader shouted. "We'll lure her to the walkers."

Chloe kept running after them, despite the fact that her life was at risk. She waited until they were barely in sight, before running through another corridor. Chloe was out of breath, but had to keep going; shooting every walker she could, before closing off the corridor, and kept on going. She heard the other members of the group.

"Where did she go?"

"She was just right there."

"Should we just let her go?"

"No, you idiot! I already said we'd lure her to the walkers!"

Chloe heard them just around the corner. She slowly stepped around, gun ready to shoot.

Milton was outside, waiting for his daughter. He refused to leave without her, but Rick insisted he go with Michonne and Carol. Milton objected, arguing that he wasn't going to leave without Chloe, but Rick demanded loudly that he go; he promised he'd get Chloe out. Milton hesitated, but gave in, and got into the back seat of the truck, but not before making sure that Rick kept his word. Rick and Andrea agreed that they would make sure that Chloe would get out safely. Rick told Daryl to help them get far away from the prison. Daryl got on his motorcycle, and motioned for Michonne to follow him

Chloe held her gun in front of her, finger on the trigger. Sweat ran down her face, and she was fuming with anger and rage. She managed to shoot several of the group members in the head, before the rest ran. Chloe followed them; there was no way they were going to live. They had just destroyed her home, and could possibly follow her and the others. Chloe started opening a door, but the members pushed her out of the way to get through, getting part of her left hand caught in it as the last one to enter slammed the door. She quickly pulled her hand away, but before she could observe the damage, she heard the growling coming from the other side of the door.

"We're surrounded by walkers."

"Shoot them!"

"We're out of bullets!"

"Use whatever you-"

Chloe smiled as she heard the blood-hurdling screams., telling her that the people had just become the walkers' next meal. She quietly thanked the walkers before running in the other direction, not knowing the damage that was done to her hand. Chloe ran in another direction, through a door and into another cell block that wasn't filled with smoke. She closed the door stopped to rest, taking a few deep breaths, knowing that the smoke wouldn't stay for long. She could already see it coming through the cracks in the door. Chloe was about to give up, when she turned and saw an exit door behind her.

Outside, Rick and Andrea were shouting for Chloe, both worried to death. Almost the entire prison was on fire now, and they needed to get away quickly. Rick was about to give up, but Andrea refused, saying that they couldn't lose anyone else, and she didn't want to see Milton suffer the consequences.

"He's already been through enough!" Andrea shouted. "That man loves his daughter more than anything in this world! If you think even for a minute that-"

"Andrea." Rick interrupted.

"I'm going to let you leave her behind-"

"Andrea. "Rick repeated. "She's right there."

Andrea turned to see Chloe walking through the cloud of smoke, sweaty and without any emotion; revolver still in hand. Chloe stopped in front of them, smiling.

"Well, that's enough excitement for one day." she boasted. "We better get out of here; find the rest of the group."

"What happened to the people?" Andrea asked.

"I shot most of them." Chloe replied. "The rest became walker chow."

Chloe started walking to the car, but Rick stopped her, asking why she shot them. Chloe explained that if she didn't shoot them, they could have followed them, and killed everyone. Rick agreed that Chloe made the right decision; he would have done the same thing, too.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked, very concerned.

**To be continued again...**


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe had forgotten about her left hand until Rick had asked; when she looked down at it, she was shocked at the damage that had been done to it. Her ring finger and pinky were broken; the skin on a small portion of her hand was shredded, and there was blood everywhere. It was then that she started feeling the pain. Rick ran to her, pulled a cloth out of his pocket and wrapped it around her partially damaged hand. He would have to observe the damage, but they needed to get in the car to find the others. Andrea helped Chloe into the back seat, then got in next to her, while Rick got in front, started the car and drove away from the burning building.

"I had to do it." Chloe repeated. "They could have followed us."

"They didn't deserve to live." Andrea said reassuringly.

"Were there any more fatalities?" Chloe asked.

"No, just Hershel." Rick replied with sadness in his voice.

Rick kept driving; no one said a word. The sun was starting to come up; clouds of smoke could be seen billowing in the sky in the distance. Chloe tried to keep her mind off the pain, but it radiated through her hand, causing her to hold it tightly in her other hand. The sound of a car horn made her jump a little, making it even worse.

"There they are." Andrea said, pointing out the cars near a field.

Rick stopped the car; Andrea helped Chloe get out, as everyone looked at them. Glenn, Maggie and Beth were huddled together, mourning their loss. The others looked at Chloe, wondering what had happened to her.

"Get out of my way." Milton demanded, as he rushed to his daughter. "Oh, my God. Chloe, what the... What happened?"

Chloe explained what had happened; and also told everyone what she had done to those people. Everyone was shocked, but everything she told them was right.

"What are we going to do?" Daryl asked "We've got a body to bury, and a kid who needs to medical attention."

"We'll bury Hershel." Rick replied, pointing to an oak tree in the field. "Right under that tree over there."

"I'll go start digging." Daryl said, taking the shovel out of the truck. He walked to the tree and started digging a hole in front of it.

Once the grave was dug, he and Rick made sure Hershel's body was securely wrapped in the tarp before Daryl drove the truck to the gravesite and he and Rick carefully placed him in the grave. Daryl covered the grave with the dirt, and everyone gathered silently. Rick gave a speech, while Glenn comforted Maggie and Beth. Chloe had tried to stop the tears, but she finally gave in and cried into her father's shoulder as he comforted her. Everyone walked away from the grave, and back to the cars after what felt like most of the day.

Rick decided he would examine Chloe's hand; but she was nervous, and said that she'd rather live with the damage. Rick warned her that if the hand wasn't treated, she would get an infection and it could spread to the rest of the hand, and even her arm. She didn't understand how a door could do that kind of damage.

"Those prison doors can be heavy." Rick admitted. "Did you pull your hand out too fast?"

Chloe nodded, trying to keep from screaming from the pain.

"You have to let me take a look at it." Rick demanded gently. "Milton, I'm going to need you to stay with her."

"I haven't left her side since she got here, and I'm not leaving her now." Milton promised, then he turned to his daughter. "But you and I are going to have a talk about what you did."

Oh great, Chloe thought, as Rick helped her onto the truck bed.

He ordered Milton to keep her calm and talk to her. He slowly removed the cloth, and carefully cleaned the wound; then he checked for broken bones. Chloe didn't know what the outcome was going to be.

"Milton, you have to keep her distracted." Rick demanded. He had to attempt to set the bones in her fingers back in place, and he didn't want her to watch.

"Right." Milton said, before turning to his daughter. "Chloe, do you remember when you were seven, and we all took that camping trip out at the lake?"

"Of course I remember." Chloe replied. "I remember you tried to catch a fish with your bare hands. Then you fell into the lake, and Mom and I had a laughing fit, and you walked out of the lake soaking wet and mad, and it made us laugh even harder."

Milton laughed. "I'll admit, it was kind of funny."

"Or that time you started saying a bunch of nonsense words because we got lost driving to Great Aunt Terri's house, and you kept grumbling about how you were going to sue the stinkbag who wrote those directions?" Chloe asked. "Because you got them off the internet."

"I can never forget that." Milton chuckled. "Then we ran out of gas, and I got out and walked into the field to curse, and your mother yells at me to watch my language, because I shouldn't curse in front of my children."

"Then you came back, and called Terri on your cellphone." Chloe remembered.

"Yeah, she told me there was a diner and gas station not too far away, but I told her that I wasn't going to push the car a quarter of a mile." Milton added. "Then she tells me she'd send someone out with gas. Then I hung up and told you all that the first person to talk to me would be riding in the trunk. Then, the person gets here two hours later, and I let your mother do the talking."

"Then, we get back on the road, and you tell us all not to say a word, or make a sound until we go to our destination." Chloe noted. "And you went back to saying all the nonsense words."

"And you and Gavin just kept laughing." Milton chuckled. "Your mother finally gets tired of my cursing and tells me that calling the person who wrote the directions a stinky booger faced windbreaking airhead wasn't going to get us to our destination any faster."

Chloe and Milton laughed so hard, they started crying. Rick was chuckling, too.

"How's it look?" Chloe asked.

"I don't think there's much I can do." Rick said, not sure of what to tell her. "I'm afraid the damage is more severe than I thought. I managed to get the bone back in place, but the skin on your hand is really torn up."

"What are you going to do?" Milton asked. "Is there any way to fix it?"

"I don't think so." Rick replied. "And even if there was, the damage is permanent."

"Dad?" Carl asked

Rick turned to his son, and asked him if there was something he wanted.

"Could you maybe cauterize the skin to close the wound?" Carl suggested "I learned in school that if you cauterize the wound, it stops the bleeding and prevents infection from setting in."

"That's a smart boy you've got." Milton commented.

Rick nodded. "I didn't think about that. I'm going to need some metal and some fire."

"You'd better get something to distract Chloe as well." Carl pointed out.

"That's what Milton has been doing." Rick said, as he started searching the tool box for something metal. He found a crowbar, and decided reluctantly that would work, as he couldn't find anything else. Carl lit a stick on fire, and Rick held the crowbar over it until it was hot enough. He then held it to Chloe's hand, leaving it there two seconds at a time, and switched to the fingers. Chloe had to do everything she could to keep from screaming. Milton kept his arm around her, and talked to her softly to try to keep her calm, but Chloe could still feel it, and it made her eyes water. Once the wounds were sealed, Rick set the crowbar into a bucket of water to cool it down, and examined Chloe's hand again. Carl suggested that her hand be wrapped up tightly so the bone could mend. Rick placed two tongue depressors around each finger for support before wrapping the entire hand with a bandage.

"I've done all I could." Rick finally said. " You do understand that if the bones don't heal, the injured part of your hand and fingers will have to be amputated?"

"I thought you were going to do that in the first place." Chloe admitted. "I'll probably have a kick ass scar once the bandage comes off."

"The skin won't be the same." Rick pointed out.

"I know." Chloe stated, as she got to her feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go offer my condolences to Maggie and Beth."

Chloe walked to Maggie and Beth, and waited until they were finished talking to Carol.

"Hey, I'm really sorry for your loss." Chloe said "Is there anything I can do."

"You can do us a favor." Beth said, her voice broken.

"Anything." Chloe said softly.

"Next time, don't chase after another group." Beth ordered.

"Only if they don't try to hurt anyone." Chloe promised. "I know how you feel. I lost my mom and little brother over a year ago."

"I'm sorry." Maggie whispered.

"The walkers got to my mother instantly; Gavin got in front of me, and allowed a walker to bite him." Chloe said "He told my father and Phillip to get me away. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking about this."

"It's okay." Beth muttered. "You need closure."

"My father was screaming for him." Chloe continued. "But Phillip kept telling him that there was nothing that could be done. He tells us to get in the car. The last thing I saw was Gavin being ripped apart. I watched two people I loved get ripped apart. Then, Phillip stops at the end of the road, and my father and I are holding onto each other, and I saw him crying for the first time. From what I had heard, the first time he cried was the day I was born."

"He seems keen on keeping you in his sight." Beth said with a tiny smile. "Just before you got here with Rick and Andrea, he was so worried that he started tearing up, and said that if you were dead, he wouldn't have a reason to live."

"That sounds like him." Chloe said, looking back at her father, who was talking with Rick and Daryl. "I couldn't live without him, either."

"You need to go talk to him." Maggie demanded.

Chloe nodded and walked to her father, and asked if they could talk. Milton agreed, and they walked away from everyone. Chloe apologized for running off, and for causing the death of living people.

"They probably led those walkers into the yard, and Hershel died because of them." Milton said after thinking about it. "There could have been more fatalities if you hadn't gone after them."

"I didn't have a choice." Chloe admitted.

"I know, but running through a burning building is not a smart idea." Milton scolded. "You're lucky you got out alive."

"I know." Chloe speculated. "It won't happen again."

"It better not." Milton demanded.

"It won't if you'll do one thing for me." Chloe added.

"What's that?" Milton asked.

"If I ever get bitten, you won't let me turn?" Chloe asked.

"Only if you do the same for me." Milton stated.

"Of course." Chloe agreed.

"Now, get in the truck." Milton ordered.

Chloe obeyed, and they both got into the back of the truck where Michonne and Carol were waiting in the front seats. The cars started to move, with Daryl leading the way on his motorcycle. Chloe kept quiet, looking out the window, occasionally seeing an abandoned farm. Everyone was tired, and needed a place to sleep. When they made a quick stop, Chloe was tired, in pain, and annoyed.

"We need to find shelter, maybe in a house?" Carol suggested.

"Or we set up tents." Andrea added.

"Maybe we could glue some leaves and sticks together and build a few teepees." Chloe muttered sarcastically.

"Are you okay?" Carol asked.

"No, I'm not okay!" Chloe exclaimed. "I'm tired, my ass is freezing, we're out in the middle of nowhere, and it smells like a dirty diaper!"

"I think Judith needs changing." Carol guessed. "I'll take care of it."

"Chloe, calm down." Milton demanded, before talking to the group. "We really should find shelter."

"How about we keep driving?" Rick suggested. "We shouldn't be too far from a town."

"How about we just stay here, and build a fort out of mud?" Chloe suggested again in the sarcastic tone.

"Chloe Nora Mamet, stop it." Milton warned. "I don't want to hear another word until we find shelter."

"We won't find shelter if we don't get our asses moving." Chloe mumbled.

"That's it, I've had enough. Go wait in the truck!" Milton chided.

Chloe muttered something as she got into the truck, and slammed the door. Soon, everyone was in the vehicles. Milton scolded his daughter for her rude behavior, telling her that it was unacceptable and needed to watch what she said.

"Is she okay?" Michonne asked.

"She's just tired." Milton replied

Chloe crossed her arms, and turned away from her father, keeping quiet during the long ride. She got tired of the scenery and eventually fell asleep, only to be woken up by Carol an hour later. She looked outside to see that they had stopped in front of a church. Everyone got out of their vehicles. Rick, Glenn, and Daryl checked the basement for walkers before allowing anyone inside. Everyone brought a few things inside. Milton tried to talk to Chloe, but she pushed him away. Glenn found some sleeping bags in a room, and gave one to everybody. Maggie pulled the crib out of the nursery for Judith. Rick told everyone to get some sleep; he and Carol would take turns looking after Judith. Everyone slept the rest of the day, and all through the night. In the morning, they would leave to find a new home.


	11. Chapter 11

The group was back on the road immediately after breakfast; Rick said that as long as they avoided the major highways, and stayed off the main roads, they'd be fine. There were a lot of suggests about where they should go next, and Rick said he'd take them into consideration. They would need to find shelter soon; snow had fallen overnight, and it looked like more was coming. While on a stop in a town to gather supplies, Chloe pointed out to Rick on a map that they were at least seven miles east from the prison.

"We're in Brooks right now. My maternal grandparents owned a vacation home at Lake Horton. There'll be plenty of room there for everyone."

"We'll need a key to get inside." Rick pointed out.

"I've got it." Milton said "It was the last thing I grabbed before we left home."

Rick nodded. "Okay, then. That's where we'll go. Thank you."

It would take eleven minutes to get to Lake Horton; once there, Rick took the key, unlocked the door, and checked to see if any walkers were inside. There weren't any, so he allowed everyone inside. Chloe joked to her father not to try to catch a fish with his bare hands again.

"It was just that one time! Besides, it too cold for that! The lake is frozen!" Milton exclaimed. "No running off."

"Dad, I'm eighteen now, I can look after myself." Chloe pointed out.

"I don't care if you're thirty five." Milton teased. "Stay where I can see you."

Chloe scowled before walking upstairs. Milton guessed she was still upset about last night; he was about to go talk to her when Andrea offered to instead.

"Its the third door on the right." Milton said, as Andrea walked upstairs.

She knocked on the door, and waited for an answer, but when she didn't hear one, she opened the door to find that Chloe had taken the bandage off her injured hand. It was swollen and bruised; her fingers were stiff, and every time Chloe tried to move them, it caused a lot of pain.

"I'm sorry, it's been bothering me all day."

"You need to have Rick look at it." Andrea demanded gently.

"Or there's an axe in the shed." Chloe stated. "Just a couple of hacks should do the trick."

Andrea was shocked that Chloe wanted to amputate the injured part of her own hand, and forbade her from thinking about such a thing. Chloe's eyes began watering as a feeling of numbness started to take over. Andrea left the room, and walked downstairs to tell Rick. He and Milton rushed upstairs. Glenn and Maggie had been settling into a bedroom next to Chloe's and ran out into the hall when they heard the commotion.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" Milton asked with concern.

"Just cut it off." Chloe begged. "I can't live with it anymore."

"This is crazy!" Glenn exclaimed, walking closer. "Let me take a look at it."

Glenn examined the hand, and said that the swelling and bruising were probably going to happen, and the numbness was from the damaged nerves. He suggested that Chloe keep the bandage around the hand until the bone had healed and gave her a bottle pain medication he and Maggie grabbed while in Brooks.

"Thank you." Chloe smiled weakly. "How do you know so much about this?"

"I was in medical school part time." Glenn replied. "Leave the hand alone, and don't think about chopping your fingers off."

Chloe nodded, before being asked to be left alone. Milton shooed everyone out of the door, closing it behind him. Chloe started unpacking, and putting everything in it's right place; it had been a few years since she had been there, and looking at the picture of her family she kept on the table by the bed brought back too many emotional memories. She still remembered Gavin asking her if they would always have more time together; she hoped that they would. Unfortunately, that would never happen; in the Summer, Chloe would expect to see her little brother outside running around, or jumping into the lake, but he was gone now. All that was left of him were the memories, and the regret that she didn't stop him from saving her life and take the bite instead. Her mother had been attacked as soon as she had walked out the door, and was gone in an instant, but Chloe had to live with the guilt that she allowed Gavin to get bitten. If it had been her choice, she would have stayed and let those same walkers devour her, but she had been saved in time by the same man who nearly took her own life.

Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes, and walked out of the room and downstairs. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

"Go back to what you were doing." she demanded, as she sat down next to her father.

"Have you been crying?" Carol asked.

"I'm just tired, that's all." Chloe lied.

"Were you thinking about Gavin again?" Milton asked.

"I was remembering the last time we were here." Chloe spoke softly. "It's not the same now."

"I know." Milton whispered, comforting his daughter.

"We don't have to stay." Rick admitted. "We can just stay for one night-"

"There is no way I'm riding my motorcycle in that weather." Daryl interrupted. "Besides, it's snowing like crazy out there."

"I am not leaving unless we absolutely have to." Chloe stated. "And you have a baby to look after; it isn't good for her to be exposed to the cold weather too long. So, unless there's a thousand walkers outside, or someone's found a spider or a snake in the house, I'm not going anywhere!"

Rick took a minute to work out what Chloe had just said. "Then, it's settled. we're staying. If anyone doesn't like it, then you can walk out that door. No? Good."

It was decided, and if anyone was going to change their mind, it was too late. No one wanted to argue, nor did they want to take any chances.


	12. Chapter 12

It took six weeks for Chloe's hand to heal; only the scars from the cauterization remained. She had Glenn examine it after breakfast; he informed her that the bones had healed, but to avoid using the hand a while longer. He checked the reflexes in the fingers, then asked Chloe if she felt any pain; Chloe said she didn't, but she felt a stinging numbness, which Glenn told her was probably from the damaged nerves, and it could possibly be permanent because of how severe the injury was. It was a miracle that she didn't lose anything when she pulled her hand away from that door.

Later that afternoon, after everyone had just finished lunch, Chloe said something no one would have expected to hear.

"I'm going back to Woodbury."

Everyone stopped what they were doing; Carol dropped the spoon she was washing, Daryl looked at her like she had just said a bad word; Carl looked like he had just been asked to answer the hardest math problem, and the rest were trying to take in what they just heard.

"Did you just say you're going back to Woodbury?" Andrea asked.

"Yes," Chloe answered.

""Why do you want to go back?" Milton asked

"To check on everyone." Chloe replied. "It's only a twenty minute drive. I'll only stay maybe a few hours."

Milton had never let his daughter go out alone since the apocalypse began; but she wasn't a child anymore, and it was time he let her go out and do things on her own. Chloe obviously wanted to go alone; she looked like she might beat up the first person who offered to join her.

"Okay, but you are to only go there, then come back." Milton ordered. "And if you run into any problems, you come right back; no excuses."

"I will, Dad." Chloe promised.

"Keep your gun loaded at all times, avoid all strangers." Milton went on.

"Dad-" Chloe started.

"Wear your seatbelt while driving, and ke-"

"Dad!" Chloe shouted, before lowering her voice. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"All right." Milton said, hugging his daughter. "You maybe an adult now, but you're always going to be my little girl."

Milton let Chloe go; she gave him a brief smile before walking to the door. Andrea told Chloe that she could borrow her car and gave her the keys; Chloe thanked her, then walked out the door without another word. She got into the car, started it, and waited for it to warm up; once it was warmed up, she put it into gear and drove away from the house. The nice thing about being in the middle of the apocalypse was that there wasn't anyone on the road, and traffic jams were now a thing of the past. Chloe often wondered how long it would be before the gas supply ran out. Once it was gone, that would be it; then every vehicle would become permanently abandoned.

Chloe forced herself out of her thoughts as soon as she saw the wall, now located just outside a park. She stopped the car once she was close; the guards had their rifles pointed towards her. Chloe slowly opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Well, I'll be damned." Martinez said astonishingly. "Open the gates!"

Chloe got back in the car, and waited for the gates to be opened before driving into the town. She turned the car off, and pulled the keys out of the ignition. When she stepped out, Martinez gave her a brief hug before asking how she had been.

"Surviving." Chloe replied. "Has everything been good here?"

"This town is safer than it was before." Martinez revealed. "Is everyone alright? We saw the smoke and-"

"Just one casualty." Chloe said, then she held up her hand. "And an injury."

"That must of hurt!" Martinez exclaimed.

"It did." Chloe implied.

"Who was it?" Martinez asked.

"Hershel." Chloe whispered, trying not to let her voice break.

"So, your father is okay?" Martinez asked. "Andrea, too?"

"They're fine." Chloe assured him.

Chloe and Martinez caught up while walking through the town. Martinez informed Chloe that he, and a few others drove out to the prison upon seeing the smoke to see if anyone needed help; he had feared that everyone perished in the fire, but once he saw the vehicles were gone, he was relieved. Almost the entire prison was now in ruins. Chloe told him that they had been ambushed and about the injury she received.

"It's a good thing you all got out when you did." he said, with relief. "Have you found another place yet?"

"Yeah, we're out at Lake Horton; my grandparent's vacation home." Chloe explained. "We've been there six weeks now."

Martinez and Chloe walked into the town hall, where some of the residents had been gathered for a town meeting.

"Everyone, we've got a visitor." Martinez announced.

Everyone turned around to see Chloe standing next to him. There was a lot of catching up, and many stories; and a lot of hugging. If it wasn't for Chloe, the town would now be abandoned and most of them would already be dead. There wasn't a leader anymore, but everyone took turns making sure everyday jobs got done. Sasha informed Chloe that the walls were heavily guarded day and night, with five soldiers at each wall, and that there were four guard towers.

"The town maybe thriving, but security is much stronger." Tyreese chuckled

"It has to be." Allen reminded him. "It's a different world out there. Better safe than sorry."

"Not a single walker has entered Woodbury." Sasha spoke with confidence.

"I don't see how they can." Chloe pointed out. "Not even a fly could get through those walls."

Everyone laughed; Chloe continued on talking, before deciding to leave, and walking to the lab where her father spent endless hours working, hoping to reverse the infection, and even retain some memory once someone reanimated. Chloe put a stop to that when she destroyed his lab; Milton was forced to give up on his research. Chloe spent fifteen minutes in the lab before walking outside where she was stopped by Karen.

"How about something to eat before you leave? I'm not taking no for an answer."

"That all depends on what you made." Chloe replied.

"Just some spaghetti." Karen grinned with a small shrug.

"That sounds good." Chloe said, following Karen to her apartment, where Noah was eating his dinner.

"Have a seat, I'll bring you a plate." Karen said, before walking into the kitchen.

Chloe took a seat; Noah put his fork down and smiled at her.

"I heard you had come back."

"Just checking on everyone." Chloe said. "I'll be leaving as soon as I finished eating."

"So, you're not staying?" Noah asked.

"My father would send a search party out for me in a millisecond." Chloe laughed.

Karen walked back out with a plate of spaghetti and a glass of lemonade, and gave them to Chloe, who thanked her. Karen sat down next to her son, and said that he was going to wait a few more years before he became a soldier. Chloe said that Rick's group had been talking about clearing the rest of the prison just a few weeks before they were forced to leave. Chloe silently finished her meal; Karen took the plate and glass into the kitchen; Chloe thanked her again before leaving.

Chloe walked back to the gate, where Allen had just finished putting gas in her car. Martinez told Chloe she could visit anytime she wanted.

"I'm not coming back." Chloe spoke softly. "I just came to say goodbye."

"I understand." Martinez smiled. "Tyreese and Allen are getting the gates opened."

Chloe got into the car and started it; Martinez told her to stay safe and take care of herself before she left. Chloe took the same route back to the lake; it was late and she wanted to get home before dark.

The group had been sitting and waiting; the sound of a car told them that Chloe had returned. Milton rushed outside; just as Chloe stepped out of the car.

"Did it go all right?" he asked.

"Better than I thought." Chloe announced optimistically. "Let's get inside, it's cold."

Chloe and Milton walked back in the house. Chloe gave the keys back to Andrea, and thanked her. Carol asked if she was hungry, but Chloe said that she already ate. Everyone asked questions, and Chloe answered the ones she could. This lasted half the evening before Rick put an end to it.

"Enough!" he demanded. "No more questions." he turned to Chloe. "You get to bed; you must be tired."

"Thank you." Chloe said, getting up.

As she was walking upstairs, she heard Daryl make a comment.

"Chloe's sure got a strong spirit."

Chloe smiled before she walked into her room; she changed her clothes before getting into bed. She listened to the wind outside, and heard laughter coming from downstairs, listening to the conversation that was being carried on. She was half way asleep when the door opened.

"Dad, what'd I tell you about coming in here when I'm trying to fall asleep?" Chloe asked in a tired and annoyed voice.

"Just want to check on you before going to bed." Milton said, stepping closer. "I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I'm fine, Dad." Chloe muttered. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am." Milton whispered.

"I love you." Chloe mumbled.

"I love you more." Milton smiled.

"How dare you." Chloe said with a small laugh. "You always say that."

"Because it's true." Milton chuckled lightly. "I'll leave you alone now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Chloe yawned.

Milton left the room, and quietly closed the door. Chloe fell asleep. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she didn't have a care in the world.


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe was sitting in her room reading a book the following morning after breakfast, trying to have some time to herself when Andrea walked in.

"The point of me being in here is so I can be alone." Chloe said with annoyance.

"I know, but we've gotta go on a run." Andrea said. "Your father is waiting for us."

"Isn't that Glenn and Maggie's job?" Chloe asked.

"They need a break." Andrea replied. "Come on, before I drag you by your ear."

Knowing she didn't have a choice, Chloe closed the book, grabbed her revolver, and followed Andrea downstairs. Milton was waiting by the door with a list in hand; he obviously didn't want to go on a run, either. Chloe warned Andrea not to let her father drive, he might get lost and start cursing. Andrea chuckled, and offered to drive; Milton rushed them both out the door, and to the car. Andrea was expecting Milton and Chloe to fight over the front seat, but Chloe took the back seat without complaint. Once everyone was in the car, Andrea started it, waited for it to warm up, then drove from the house.

"I don't see why we have to go." Milton complained.

"It's not fair to make Glenn and Maggie do all the work." Andrea pointed out. "Besides, it's nice to get out."

"It used to be until these rotters took over the world." Chloe muttered.

"You better watch it." Andrea warned. "You went all the way back to Woodbury, so I do not want to hear another word about it."

Chloe was quiet until they got to a convenience store. Once inside, Chloe took a look at the list, and decided she'd get the supplies for the baby and grabbed a small basket. Milton called after her to be careful; Chloe pulled her gun out, ready to shoot any walker that got in her way. Half way to the infants department, she heard two male voices. Chloe slowed down, and listened; wanting to make sure they weren't going to try anything. By sound of their voices, they weren't that much older than her.

"What are you doing?"

"She may need help."

"That girl doesn't want your help!"

Chloe turned around, pointing her gun at two boys who looked to be about nineteen.

"Who the hell are you?"

The boys backed away, but weren't frightened.

Milton and Andrea were watching nearby; Milton was quietly telling Chloe not to shoot the boys.

"I'm so sorry. I'm Eric, this is my twin brother Ian. Of course, you can't really tell we're twins. I've got black hair and green eyes, he's got red hair and grey eyes. Ian, let's go!"

"Hold your horses!" Ian demanded.

Chloe kept her finger on the trigger; one wrong move, and they're dead.

"Ian, look at her!" Eric implied. "She's been through a lot; look at all those scars!"

Milton and Andrea stepped closer, until they were behind Chloe.

"Chloe, put the gun down." Milton whispered. "You're not a killer. That's not who you are; I raised you to be better than this."

Chloe lowered her gun; Ian closely observed her, looking at the scars on her face, arm and hand; he smiled before turning back to his brother.

"I see those scars, Eric. But what about the scars you can't see?" Ian asked

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eric asked

"I'm talking about the emotional scars." Ian replied. "They are the worst; the pain in the visible scars eventually go away, but the pain in the emotional scars last forever. What's your name?"

"Chloe."

"Chloe, you must have been through a lot." Ian assumed.

Chloe nodded; he knew how she felt.

"It takes a lot of fighting to survive." Ian said "But a lot more bravery and courage to live. We have to go now. Maybe someday we'll cross paths again."

Ian and Eric walked away without another word. Chloe took in what she just heard; what Ian told her had given her a new lease on life; she turned around and looked at her father. Milton had heard every word Ian said to her.

"Thank you for not letting me shoot them." Chloe said, with a tiny smile.

"I didn't want to see my daughter kill anyone who wasn't a danger." Milton admitted. "You know you're not a killer, right?"

"I killed a man I thought I trusted." Chloe muttered. "If I hadn't, you and I wouldn't be here."

"You only kill people if they cause a threat." Milton said. "Or you let the walkers eat them."

Chloe smiled; she decided she'd better grab the baby supplies; Milton followed closely behind her, not turning away for even a second. Chloe grabbed diapers, baby food, formula, a few toys and clothes, and a few other essentials. She would have taken everything, but the basket was already too full, so she and Milton walked to the front where Andrea was waiting with the other supplies. Once they had gotten everything into boxes, and into the car trunk, it was time to leave.

"Chloe, why don't you drive?" Andrea asked, giving Chloe the keys. "I don't mind sitting in back."

Chloe took the keys, and got into the driver's seat. Andrea got in behind her, and Milton took the front passenger's seat. Chloe started the car and drove away from the store.

"At least we didn't run into any walkers." Andrea sighed.

"Except for this one in the middle of the road." Milton pointed out.

Chloe slammed the brakes, narrowly missing the walker. She sneered as she a crowbar out of the glove department, walked outside, and smashed the crowbar into the walker's head.

"Stupid biter!" she shouted, as she pulled the crowbar out and kicked the walker to the ground.

Chloe walked back to the car and slammed the door; and told Milton and Andrea to keep their mouths shut as she continued driving.

Later that night, everyone had heard about what had happened. If someone had told her those words sooner, they wouldn't have had any meaning, but now they did. If it hadn't been for Ian, she wouldn't have found a new reason to keep living. And if it hadn't been for her father, she would have killed Ian and Eric without hesitation. She had learned early on that people who were a threat didn't deserve to live; and that there were some people who should be given another chance. The walkers were the enemies, but not the real threat. The living were just as dangerous as the dead.


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe was getting so annoyed about having to constantly reload her revolver, that one morning after breakfast she walked out to the shed and grabbed her grandfather's Marlin Model 60 rifle off the shelf, and the case of bullets sitting next to it. She spent most of the day outside cleaning the old rifle as it had been collecting dust over the years. The rifle had to be dismantled in order to be cleaned; once that was done, Chloe carefully reassembled the rifle and loaded the bullets into it. She would have fired a shot if there had been a walker around, but decided to wait and not waste a bullet. The revolver was good when there were only a few walkers, but not when there were so many of them; Chloe was putting herself at risk of getting bitten every time she stopped to reload. During the walker invasion the night before, Chloe had to stop three times to reload her gun; with the rifle, she would have to stop and reload less often. All she could do was wait until a walker came along so she could test it out.

"I didn't even know he had this." Milton said, carefully examining the rifle.

"He told me it was in there." Chloe said, keeping a look out for walkers.

"Was there anything else in there?" Milton asked.

"An axe, a shovel, a rake, a lawn mower, and a few cans of WD-40." Chloe replied. "And a few tools; probably a spider in there, but I'm not going to look for it."

"Could be something worse than a spider." Milton pointed out. "Could be a wasp nest."

"Yeah, that's even worse." Chloe said with a slight chuckle. "Do you hear growling?"

"I know it's not my stomach." Milton replied.

Chloe turned around to see a herd of walkers stumbling towards the house; she took the rifle, and without thinking about if it would work or not, started shooting. Soon, everyone except Beth and Judith were outside shooting walkers; gunshots were fired from every direction, bullets flying through the air, hitting their target. Chloe kept shooting, not knowing that there was a walker behind her, ready to bite. It would have bitten her if Rick hadn't shouted; Chloe immediately turned around and shot the walker in the head; she looked around the yard scattered with corpses, not knowing that everyone was looking at her; when she turned to see everyone staring at her, she didn't show any emotion as she demanded the mess be cleaned up and walked inside. Glenn and Daryl agreed to clean up and burn the corpses. Everyone was afraid that Chloe was turning into a killer, and would eventually shoot an innocent person; if this was her expression when shooting walkers, what was her expression when shooting the living? Milton stood in shock, not sure what to think. When the apocalypse began, Chloe lived in constant fear; the events at Woodbury had changed her; she had gone from being a shy, innocent child to being a cold, dark and mysterious person. She was still afraid, but kept it hidden.

"You need to talk to her!" Andrea demanded.

"What am I supposed to tell her?" Milton asked.

"She's your daughter!" Andrea exclaimed. "How can you just stand there and let her become cold and hardened?"

"How about you talk to her?" Milton suggested.

"She's not my daughter!" Andrea exclaimed with a small laugh. "What would your wife think if she saw her daughter now?"

"She wouldn't have allowed it." Milton replied. "But Chloe would be dead by now if she didn't know how to shoot a gun."

"What if it had been your son who had survived instead?" Andrea asked.

"Gavin gave his life to save his sister!" Milton replied with anger in his voice. "If it had been up to me, I would have given my life to save both my children!"

"If you weren't here, Phillip would have killed Chloe!" Andrea exclaimed. "And most of us would already be dead! Would you want her blood on your hands?"

"No, but-"

"Then, get in that house and talk to her." Andrea said in a demanding voice.

"You sure you don't want to-"

"Milton Joseph Mamet, you get your ass in that house right now!" Andrea nearly shouted.

Not wanting to get on Andrea's bad side, Milton walked inside to find Chloe sitting at the dining room table. He sat down next to her, not sure of what to say; he saw Andrea outside, motioning for him to say something, but it was Chloe who spoke first.

"You need to stop me."

"What?" Milton asked.

"I know what I'm becoming." Chloe said, not looking at her father. "I kill one person, and I lose my innocence."

"Chloe, you didn't have a choice!" Milton replied, trying not to shout. "But if you keep this up, everyone is going to think you might kill them."

"Why would I kill the people I trust?" Chloe asked. "Besides, I'm not wasting my bullets on innocent people! Not unless they put everyone's life at risk."

"That is not how I raised you!" Milton shouted, causing Chloe to look up at him. "You save those bullets for the walkers from now on! If anyone causes any trouble, Rick will deal with them!"

"Maybe next time I'll allow myself to get bitten." Chloe muttered sarcastically. "Then I won't have to be a burden on you or anyone else."

"You are not a burden." Milton said calmly. Chloe got up from her chair, annoyed and angry. "Where you going!"

"To my room!" Chloe shouted, walking out of the kitchen.

Chloe walked upstairs, to her room and slammed the door, causing Judith to scream. Milton walked in a few minutes later, annoyed that she was trying to avoid him and that she had woken the baby up. Chloe looked at her father with anger and rage. Milton walked closer to her, but Chloe backed away from him.

"Chloe, don't do this." Milton begged. "I can't stand seeing my daughter become a monster."

"Then, you'd shoot me." Chloe whispered. "If you dont want me to turn into what he was, you'd shoot me right now."

"I am not going to shoot you unless you've been bitten." Milton said, shocked that Chloe would say something like that.

"It's only a matter of time before we're all at each other's throats." Chloe said in a tone that would have made her mother cringe. "As soon as the food supply runs low, we'll all be fighting over the rations and killing someone just to get something to eat."

"I think we've got a while before it comes to that." Milton said, not wanting to think about what would happen when a food shortage occurred. "Chloe, I've given up everything to keep you safe; I even gave up my research-"

"Because I destroyed your lab." Chloe finished. "It served you right for experimenting on a corpse! Any memory of that person is gone; that walker isn't a living being!"

"I know that. " Milton replied "I just want to keep you safe; I'm not going to shoot you."

"Of course you're not." Chloe mumbled, looking at the floor. "That would be a waste of a bullet; besides, you'd have to shoot yourself afterwards."

"Chloe, think about it." Milton said, mischievously. "We could be somewhere worse."

"Yeah, like Great Aunt Terri's house." Chloe joked. "No, wait. That's kind of mean."

"No, you're right." Milton chuckled.

"She's lucky she passed away before all this started." Chloe replied. "If she was still alive, she'd be mistaken for a walker."

Milton laughed so hard he nearly cried; he tired to scold his daughter for making such a cruel joke, but it was impossible. Chloe waited until he was done laughing, and for him to speak.

"That is not nice!" he scolded through his laugh. "It wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't true."

"Are you done yet?" Chloe asked.

Milton calmed down. "I am now, but don't ever say that again."

Chloe and Milton continued talking well into the evening; both joking and laughing; contemplating life before the apocalypse, and what life would be like if it never happened. Chloe knew that her mother and Gavin would still be alive; Penny would still be alive, and Phillip would have never turned into a monster. Chloe and Gavin would still be in school, and Milton would be coming home every night, grumbling about how his boss was a complete windbag. But if it wasn't for the apocalypse, the group would have never formed, and they'd still be living their normal lives. People used to complain that nothing exciting ever happened to them, but now they have nothing to complain about. The government was a thing of the past; all the essentials like electricity, gas and running water were gone. Chloe couldn't remember the last movie she watched or the last song she listened to on the radio; she couldn't even remember the last meal she ate with her family before the chaos. It didn't matter, though; all Chloe had to do was live to see the next day.


	15. Chapter 15

Everyone kept a close watch on Chloe in the weeks following the walker shootings, much to her annoyance; she would stay in her room in order to avoid someone, only coming out when she needed to. Milton was worried that his daughter was becoming distant; every time he tried talking to her, she'd push him away, and tell him not to bother her. If anyone tried to talk to her, she'd walk away from them, and ignore them. It was only a matter of time before she shut them out, but Carol decided enough was enough. One night after dinner, Carol stopped Chloe from going upstairs.

"You're not going anywhere!" Carol said in a serious tone. "Why are you acting like this?"

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Don't push yourself away." Carol begged. "You've earned your place in the group."

"Hell, you earned it before you even became a part of the group." Daryl commented. "You can't back away now."

"I know you've gone through a lot." Carol implied. "I have, too. We all have."

"But you've never given up." Chloe said, turning to face everyone. "We've all lost people we love; mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, best friends. When someone you love dies, a part of you dies with them, leaving an empty space that can never be filled again. When someone you love dies, you don't just sit there and give up; no, you get up off your ass, and you keep living; you keep surviving; and you keep fighting. You get up every morning, and you face the day. You endure the pain, because it only makes you stronger! If you fall down, you get back up again; and you don't stop fighting for anything."

Everyone stared at Chloe, taking in what she just said; every single person in that group has lost someone, but that didn't stop them. It may have left them broken, but they didn't allow their losses to take over their lives. It was the first speech any of them had heard in a long time.

"You know, I really wish Dale was here right now." Andrea said with a smile. "You both would have gotten along very well."

"I wonder how he would have reacted to my speech." Chloe wondered.

"He would have agreed with everything you just said." Andrea replied. "I think you would have gotten along with almost everyone in our group who's gone now."

Chloe didn't say anything after that; she remained quiet the rest of the night and most of the next day. If a conversation with Carl hadn't happen that afternoon, Chloe would have continued to stay silent; she had been sitting on the dock since after breakfast, staring down at the water remembering all the camping trips; and all the funny moments. She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps, and turned to see Carl walking towards her. He sat next to her, and stared out in the distance.

"I wonder what month it is." Chloe said, without even thinking.

"I'm guessing late March or Early April." Carl assumed. "That speech you gave last night, you were right. That's how we live now."

"And how we survive." Chloe added.

"Is there anything you wish you had done?" Carl asked.

"I wish I could have saved Phillip." Chloe admitted. "And not just by killing him."

"But you didn't have a choice." Carl reminded her. "Life involves making tough decisions. Would you forgive him?"

"I can't forgive him for what he became, but I can forgive him for what he did." Chloe replied.

"You're not going to pull yourself away from us, are you?" Carl asked.

"No." Chloe said with a smile. "I am not going anywhere."

"And you'll stop avoiding everyone?" Carl asked.

"As long as no one gets on my nerves." Chloe replied with a small laugh.

Chloe had become more involved in conversations, and would watch out for others like they would for her. Having that conversation with Carl reminded her of all the conversations she had with her own brother; both of them sitting on the dock, contemplating life, and wondering what the future was going to hold. Even now, Chloe didn't know what the future would bring.

A week later, Chloe was in her room, listening to the conversation Milton was having with Andrea; everyone was beginning to notice the way he looked at her. Chloe slowly opened her door to hear the conversation better.

"Does Chloe know?" Andrea asked.

"I haven't told her yet." Milton replied. "I'm just waiting for the right time."

"If you keep waiting, it'll be too late." Andrea reminded him. "Or we could not tell her, but she'll find out eventually."

"I don't want her to get upset." Milton said doubtfully. "It took me ages to ask Stella out. I was afraid she'd say no and tell me to go-"

"Milton!" Andrea scolded.

"Sorry." Milton whispered. "When I finally got the courage, Stella told me that she had been waiting for me to ask. And being sixteen, I was very nervous. After high school, we moved into an apartment together. We thought we'd take it all slowly; focus on our careers for a while, then get married and have kids. Of course, it didn't work out that way. We were both almost twenty when we found out that Stella was pregnant."

"And you didn't know if you were ready to be a father." Andrea assumed.

"No, I wasn't sure of what to do." Milton admitted. "We both wanted that child, but neither of us had any experience with babies. I spent the entire nine months worrying that I wasn't going to be a good father."

"But you are." Andrea reminded him.

"The day Chloe was born, I burst into tears the minute I saw her." Milton continued. "Stella and I took it all one day at a time. We got married when Chloe was five months old, and Gavin came along three years later; a few years after that, Stella became pregnant a third time, but an accident caused her to lose the baby. The doctor told her she'd never be able to get pregnant again."

"Milton, I didn't know." Andrea whispered. "How far along was she?"

"About seven weeks." Milton answered softly. "It was devastating; being told you can't have any more kids is the worst thing you can ever hear. Chloe and Gavin never knew about it."

"I'm so sorry." Andrea muttered.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this." Milton admitted. "But if we keep waiting, it'll be too late."

"Milton, I love you." Andrea said indulgently. "I always have."

Milton slowly took in the words, and nervously replied. "I love you, too."

Chloe slowly stepped out of the room; Milton and Andrea both looked at her, waiting for her to speak up. All she could do was smile.

"Were you listening to us?" Milton asked.

"I heard everything." Chloe said in a casual tone.

"And you're okay with it?" Andrea asked.

"Well, it took you both long enough!" Chloe exclaimed. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine with it."

"That's a relief." Andrea said. "Now, was that so hard, Milton?"

"No, not at all." Milton replied, before turning to his daughter. "You get to bed; you know I don't like it when you stay up so late."

Chloe walked back in her room, still smiling. She was thinking that things were going to get better, and everything would be just fine. It was like there wasn't anything bad in the world, and there was nothing to worry about. If only that were true; no one knew what the days ahead would bring. Chloe would wake up every morning, hoping that the apocalypse would be over; but it was far from over. She knew that some where in the world, a family had lost a loved one, and that more were going to be lost. What she didn't know was that things were going to take a turn for the worst, and there was nothing anyone could do about it, and they wouldn't be able to prevent it from happening.


	16. Chapter 16

As time went by, Chloe and Andrea's friendship grew; there were things Chloe couldn't talk about with her father, but she could discuss them with Andrea. Milton had made it very clear with Andrea that Chloe was always going to be his first priority; Andrea knew the love Milton had for his daughter was unconditional, and nothing could ever change that. No one knew how much time they had, or if they'd live to see the end of the day; every minute spend with loved ones had to be cherished. Everyone's days were numbered, it didn't matter if they'd be alive for another week, or even five years.

Chloe stood outside one night, worried that something was going to happen; she had an uneasy feeling, similar to what she felt that night in Woodbury. She had her rifle ready to shoot walkers, but wasn't going to be ready for what was about to come.

"Chloe, come inside." Milton called. "It's getting late."

Chloe turned around, and started walking towards the house; she stopped half way when she heard the sounds of leaves crunching. She held the rifle in front of her, breathing heavily; she slowly walked backwards, finger slowly starting to pull the trigger. A gunshot rang through the air, with a bullet instantly killing a walker in the dark. Chloe was ready to fire again, but lowered her gun once she saw that there were too many of them; she couldn't fight them alone. It was going to take everyone.

"Dad, go warn the others." Chloe demanded. "I'll hold them off, but I can't do this alone."

Milton rushed inside to tell everyone about the walkers; everyone rushed outside, and started shooting at the walkers. Milton called out for his daughter, but she wasn't anywhere in sight. A gunshot in the distance told him that Chloe was in the woods. Rick was shouting orders, telling everyone to shoot as many walkers as they could then get away from the house. Andrea and Milton ran into the woods, calling for Chloe. Neither of them knew if it would be too late by the time they reached her.

"Chloe!" Milton shouted. "Chloe, can you hear me?"

"I still hear the gunshots." Andrea said. "She's still alive. Let's keep moving."

Andrea and Milton ran further into the woods, the gunshots getting louder, until they found Chloe shooting down walkers as they got closer to her. Milton ran to his daughter and pulled her back, but that didn't stop the walkers from crowding around them. Chloe had run out of bullets, and knew that this was the end; it was only a matter of time before all three of them were dead.

"Milton, you take Chloe and get out of here." Andrea demanded. "I'll hold them off."

"Andrea, you can't!" Milton shouted.

"Milton, you do as I say." Andrea demanded loudly. "You get your daughter out of here; get as far as you can!"

"Andrea, what are you doing?" Chloe asked.

"I'm saving your asses!" Andrea replied. "You both have to get out of here!"

Milton was hesitant; his love for Andrea grew stronger everyday, but Andrea reminded him that the love for his daughter would be stronger than his love for her.

"Andrea." Milton said, softly. He was trying to fight the tears. "You know I love you, right?"

"And I love you." Andrea whispered, before she kissed him. "Now, go! Don't look back."

Milton grabbed his daughter and they started walking towards the house as Andrea started shooting at the walkers. Chloe was shouting at him not to leave Andrea behind; Milton held her closely to keep her from looking back. The gunshots in the woods had grown faint, but the ones coming from outside the house were getting louder. Most of the group had already left, but Rick, Glenn, and Daryl remained. Corpses were littered in the front yard; Chloe and Milton stepped over the bodies, not aware of the walker behind them. Chloe gasped when she felt a hand on her shoulder; the walker was close to taking a bite when-

BLAM!

Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. The gunshot was right in her ear, and all she could hear was ringing. When she finally could hear again, she cursed and demanded to know who fired that shot. She turned to see that her father had taken her revolver; he had killed that walker. Rick ran to them, and asked if they were okay, and wanted to know where Andrea was.

"She's trying to hold the walkers in the woods off." Milton said. "Is everyone okay?"

"I sure hope so." Rick said with slight doubt in his voice. "You need to get your daughter away from here; Daryl, Glenn and I will grab everything. Get in the car and go!"

Milton nodded, then grabbed his daughter. He got her into the passenger's seat, then ran to the driver's side, started the car and drove away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chloe asked loudly. "We have to go back!"

"You heard what Rick said!" Milton said, trying to remain calm.

"We can't just leave Andrea behind!" Chloe shouted. "You turn this damn car around right now!"

"I'm not turning around!" Milton shouted. "Now, just be quiet, okay? Let me drive!"

"You turn this effing car around, you idiot!" Chloe shouted, causing Milton to slam on the breaks, and almost causing them to crash.

"What did you just call me?" Milton asked, through heavy breaths.

"I said you're an idiot!" Chloe replied in a chiding tone. "For leaving Andrea behind!"

"Okay, so I'm an idiot because I allowed Andrea to save our asses!" Milton yelled. "You shouldn't have ran into those woods in the first place."

"Well, maybe you should have just stayed with her!" Chloe shouted, punching her father, emphasizing every word.

"Chloe, I can't drive with you punching me." Milton said, trying not to shout. "You just sit there, and don't say another word."

Chloe got out of the car, slammed the door and walked into the woods. Milton called for her to get back in the car, but decided he wasn't in the mood.

"Fine! Be that way! If you get bitten, that's your fault! See if I care! One less thing I have to worry about."

Chloe turned back around, in shock of what she just heard.

"Go!" Milton said. "Don't expect me to wait for you."

Tears started to flow from Chloe's eyes. She waited for him to tell her not to cry, and to say that everything would be okay. But he didn't say anything. Chloe took one last look at him before she walked farther into the woods, calling for Andrea. Daryl's motorcycle could be heard in the distance; as long as she heard that, she knew that someone was close by. She didn't have any kind of weapon, and would be a perfect target for the walkers. A life and death situation. Chloe had to stop and look behind her every time she heard a small sound. One sound of a gun shot coming from a distance, and Chloe ran in that direction.

"Andrea, is that you?"

Chloe kept shouting and running, knowing that if she stopped, she'd get bitten. She ran so fast, that she lost her balance, and fell onto the hard Earth. She tried to stand up, but her ankle was hurting. At that moment, Chloe didn't know if her ankle was broken or twisted. Either way, she was screwed. All she could do was sit and wait; either someone would come for her, or a walker would make a meal of her.

"Oh, the hell with it." Chloe whispered, looking up at the sky. "I've had enough of this life. Here's your chance, God. I'm ready. Just make it quick."

Chloe waited for death, knowing that she would reanimate, and become something she wouldn't be aware of. A voice in her head told her to get up and get back to the highway. This wasn't the time for dying, or the time to save someone. It was like a supernatural being helped her up and slowly led her out of the woods. She heard the voice telling her to go back to her father, and go back to the others. Chloe stumbled out of the woods, to see that the road was empty.

"No. Dad, where are you?" she said out loud.

Chloe started walking along the highway, listening for any vehicles, and for Daryl's motorcycle. Shouting out everyone's name; she was tired, hungry, and thirsty, and completely out of breath. She wanted someone to come; she didn't care who it was. It could be a friend or a stranger. Chloe was worn out, and on the verge of collapsing; she stopped and allowed herself to fall onto the grass. All she could do was lay there and wait.

"God, hurry." she begged. "I can't do this anymore."

Chloe allowed her eyes to close, the wind softly blowing, and everything around her fading away...

"What the heck are you laying there for?"

Chloe opened her eyes, to see Daryl standing over her. He kneeled down next to her, pulled a bottle of water out of his backpack, opened it and gave it to her. Chloe accepted the water, and took a few sips.

"Where is everyone?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know." Daryl replied quietly. "We better go find them."

Daryl helped Chloe to her feet. He got onto his motorcycle, and told her to get on back. Chloe obeyed, and climbed on; Daryl told her to put her arms around him, as she was very weak and she didn't need to be falling off. Chloe hesitantly put her arms around Daryl, resting her head on his back as he drove them away. He could feel the girl trembling, and hear her breathing slowly; he talked to her in order to keep her awake.

"Have you seen Andrea?" Chloe asked weakly.

"I haven't." Daryl replied. "But we need to get you to your father."

"He doesn't care" Chloe muttered.

"Don't say that." Daryl said.

"He left me behind." Chloe mumbled, her voice getting quieter.

"Chloe, don't fall asleep." Daryl demanded softly. "You're gonna be fine."

Daryl continued riding and talking to Chloe. Sometimes, he would stop to give her some water before he continued riding again. After a long time, Daryl took a turn down another rural road, still demanding that Chloe stay with him. The last thing he wanted was for her to die and reanimate while they were on the bike. Chloe was afraid that she wouldn't see her father again; it was the first fight they ever had, and she wished she hadn't gotten angry with him and called him an idiot. The sun was starting to come up; Chloe looked over Daryl's shoulder, not knowing that tears were pouring out of her eyes. Daryl turned to look at her, and stopped the bike once he saw that she was upset.

"Chloe, please don't do that." he gently spoke. "Chloe, we'll find him. I promise. You have to trust me."

"We'll never find them again." Chloe muttered weakly.

"Don't say that." Daryl whispered.

"Daryl, if I don't make it, tell my father that I am very sorry and that I love him." Chloe emphasized slowly.

"No, you're going to tell him yourself." Daryl said. "I don't need to see anyone else lose a child."

Daryl kept driving; it felt like they had been on the motorcycle for hours, when he finally stopped the bike and turned it off. Half asleep, Chloe looked up to see the rest of the group standing in the middle of the road. Weak and shaking, Chloe climbed down from the motorcycle; she grabbed Daryl's arm to keep from falling. He kept an arm around her as they walked towards everyone. Milton walked towards his daughter and stopped in front of her, waiting for her to speak. Chloe clenched her fist, and punched him hard in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. She kneeled down and continued punching him, and cursed at him.

"You complete idiot! You ass!" Chloe grumbled, emphasizing each word with a punch.

Everyone stood in shock, wondering how Milton could let his daughter beat him up like that, but he knew he deserved it. Chloe stopped the punching, but Milton waited for her to start again. When she didn't, he looked at her.

"Are you done?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

Chloe nodded, and stood up, holding her hand out. Milton took it, and carefully got to his feet, and hugged his daughter close to him.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry for leaving you behind."

"I'd rather you have gotten away and be alive than to have stayed and be dead." Chloe replied. "I'm sorry for walking away."

"It's okay." Milton replied softly. "We'll find Andrea."

"I know." Chloe mumbled. "The only question is where do we look?"

"I think I know." Milton said "When we first got here, I told her about the old cemetery. That if she ever got lost, to go there and hide in the church."

"Like you told Gavin and me." Chloe nodded, then she turned to the others. "We have to go back."

"Is it really worth the risk?" Rick asked angrily. "This is the second time you've put yourself in danger! Next time, you may not be so lucky!"

"Either, we go back, or my father and I are leaving." Chloe remarked. "Dad, back me up."

"Yeah, we'll go find her ourselves!" Milton replied "Rick, please."

Rick knew that Chloe and Milton weren't going to take no for an answer, so he decided they'd go back. Chloe showed him where the cemetery was on the map before they began the drive. Daryl had reloaded Chloe's rifle, and handed it to her. He started walking back to his motorcycle.

"Daryl." Chloe called out to him; he turned around and looked at her. "Thank you."

Daryl nodded with a small smile before he got on his bike, leading the convoy of cars to their next destination. Chloe remained silent during the ride, contemplating the events of the previous night. Milton hated silence; this was why he had to have a sense of humor during those long car rides, to keep his children entertained.

"Chloe, do I need to start the joking?" he asked.

"This is not the time or place." Chloe replied. "What are you going to do this time, complain about how all the walkers are ruining everything and you're going to blast them all into outer space?"

Milton chuckled. "I don't think blasting the walkers into outer space is going to solve anything."

"Neither will moving out of the solar system." Chloe joked sarcastically. "But you don't hear me complaining."

"This conversation is now over!" Milton said laughing.

Chloe kept her thoughts to herself after that; she didn't know where their next home would be, or if they would even find one. Chloe was forced out of her thoughts once everyone pulled over in front of an old cemetery. Not wanting to waste any time, Chloe and Milton ran inside the church, calling for Andrea. Michonne was close behind them, with her katana ready to slash any walkers. Chloe walked between the benches.

"Andrea, are you here?"

Chloe walked a little further, and nearly jumped when she heard a small sound. She slowly turned to see Andrea laying down on the bench, weak and tired. Chloe checked for walker bites, but didn't see any.

"Dad! Michonne! She's over here!" Chloe shouted. "Andrea, can you hear me? Look at me."

Andrea looked at Chloe, but didn't say anything. Milton rushed to her side, Andrea smiled weakly at him.

"Everything's going to be okay." Milton whispered. "We're going to get you out of here."

"I didn't think you were going to come back for me." Andrea spoke slowly.

"We couldn't leave you behind." Milton whispered. "Besides, Chloe was going to make me leave the group if we didn't come back for you."

Chloe and Milton helped Andrea to her feet and out of the Church, with Michonne closely behind them. Everyone watched as Chloe opened the door to the back seat of the car, and Milton helped Andrea inside, and carefully laid her across the seat.

"You get some sleep, okay?"

Andrea nodded, too tired to say anything. Milton closed the door, and he and Chloe got into the front seats. Everyone got back into their vehicles, and got back on the road, not knowing where they would go next.


	17. Chapter 17

The group settled into an abandoned farm house after a few hours of driving; everyone fell asleep quickly, hoping to get at least a small nap in before getting back on the road. Chloe managed to get two hours of sleep before waking up; unable to get back to sleep, she got up and walked outside where Rick was walking the grounds. Something had been on Chloe's mind since the day she and her father joined his group. It was time she got it off her chest and out of her mind; she walked to Rick, and stood next to him, looking out at the field.

"You should get some more sleep." Rick suggested.

"I'll go to bed early tonight." Chloe replied. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Rick asked, curiously.

"Why did you take us in?" Chloe asked. "I understand why you accepted Andrea, but you could have turned my father and me away; left us to the walkers."

"You had already been through a lot." Rick replied. "I saw a child who had suffered."

"You could have blown our brains out on the spot!" Chloe exclaimed. "Hell, you could have left me behind when the prison caught fire!"

"But I didn't!" Rick said, trying not to raise his voice. "I only stayed because I promised your father that I would make sure you got out!"

"If you had left me behind, what would you have told him?" Chloe asked. "You ever lost someone you love? You have, haven't you? So, you know what it's like!"

"I lost my wife." Rick admitted. "It was her choice; she wanted to save the baby."

"So, you understand what it's like." Chloe assumed. "The pain, the suffering. It's hell."

"What the Governor did to you was wrong." Rick said.

"His name was Phillip." Chloe implied.

"Of course." Rick muttered, before walking away.

"He was my Godfather." Chloe revealed, making Rick stop in his tracks.

"What?"

"Phillip was my Godfather." Chloe repeated. "Gavin's, too. Yeah, that's a shocker."

Rick couldn't believe what he had heard; if Phillip Blake was Chloe's Godfather, why did he try to kill her? As a father, Rick would protect any child, even if that child wasn't his. Chloe wished she hadn't told him.

"I'm sorry, I need to learn to keep my mouth shut."

"It's okay." Rick said. "Phillip wasn't always the Governor, was he?"

"He was a devoted husband and loving father." Chloe replied. "Both our families were together almost all the time."

"Why did he hurt you?" Rick asked.

"Because he wanted my father to suffer." Chloe replied. "He was going to kill me, then let me reanimate and kill my father. Then he was going to shoot us both in the head."

"I'm so sorry for what had happened to you." Rick said with remorse. "Chloe, I let you in because you saved everyone; and you avenged Merle Dixon's death."

"I owed him a favor for saving my life." Chloe said. "But I didn't expect to avenge his death in order to return it."

"I think that's something Daryl needs to hear." Rick said, as Daryl had stepped outside.

"Everyone's just now waking up." he announced. "We'll have to get back on the road soon."

Chloe thought about earlier that morning and how Daryl had saved her life. He didn't have to stop for her; he could have just kept going. But Daryl Dixon wasn't that kind of man; he wouldn't leave anyone behind. When he and Merle first joined the group, he wanted nothing to do with them, now he and Rick were good friends. They kept the group together in hard times. Chloe wondered how she was going to return the favor to him.

"Daryl, can we talk?" she asked.

"If this is about earlier-"

"No, it's not that." Chloe said. "It's just that I don't know if Merle told you, but he saved my life."

Daryl was shocked. "He never told me about that."

"We were in the process of putting the walls up in Woodbury." Chloe started. "So, the town wasn't safe in the beginning; I didn't have any weapons on me, and all I could do was push the walkers away. I thought it was the end, then Merle comes and starts shooting the walkers. He tells me to run, and I get away from all those walkers, watching as Merle's killing them all, stabbing some of them with his knife. Phillip and my father both ran outside, and my father grabs me and holds me back. Merle was going to leave, but Phillip told him that he wasn't going to let a man who saved a child's life go out into that danger. I wish I could have returned the favor."

"You avenged his death." Daryl said. "That counts."

"Now, I have to return the favor to you for what you did earlier." Chloe said, not sure of what she would do.

"Actually, I think I returned the favor to you." Daryl replied.

"Merle taught me how to shoot." Chloe revealed. "My very first walker kill, I made a perfect head shot. I haven't missed a single one ever since."

"I bet Merle gave you a hard time." Daryl chuckled.

"He teased me and told me that when I killed my first walker, he'd take me out for ice cream." Chloe remarked. "I really didn't find it to be funny; I told him that he owed me an ice cream once the world was back to normal."

"He used to do that to me." Daryl said. "You just be lucky you didn't grow up with him."

Chloe couldn't imagine what Daryl's childhood must have been like with Merle around. Chloe knew that Merle had a temper, and would turn violent when least expected, but she rarely ever saw that side of him. He only teased her, but that was it.

"Chloe, could you do me one favor?" Daryl asked.

"Anything." Chloe replied. "Name it."

"Don't run away from us again." Daryl said. "If anything happens to you, we couldn't stand to see your father breaking down. You're all he has left in this world, and it isn't worth it to see him have to suffer."

Chloe nodded, before Daryl turned away to talk to Rick; Chloe walked back into the house where almost everyone was awake. Andrea still looked a little weak, but better than she had been earlier that morning; Milton was sitting next to her, with an arm around her; Chloe sat next to him.

"How is she?" Chloe asked in a whisper.

"She'll be fine." Milton whispered. "Did you sleep?"

"Only a couple hours." Chloe said. "But it's okay; I'll fall asleep faster tonight."

Milton didn't like that Chloe didn't get enough sleep; before the apocalypse, if Chloe had stayed up past a certain time, he'd walk into her room and give her a lecture on how staying up so late and not getting enough sleep was bad, but Chloe would throw her pillow at him before he finished, then he would leave the room saying they'd talk about it in the morning. It never happened, but Milton sometimes forgot that Chloe was a teenager and was in school and had tests to study for.

"You can sleep in the car." Milton said. "Now, go eat something."

Chloe got up and walked back outside.

"And eating a spoonful of peanut butter doesn't count as breakfast!" Milton shouted.

Chloe didn't say anything; she started looking through the food supply to see what looked good. She decided that a cereal bar would do, and grabbed that and a bottle of water. She listened to the discussion between Rick and Daryl about where they would go next. Their only option would be to keep going east; Rick suggested Fort Benning, but Daryl didn't think it was worth the risk, and suggested they keep moving until they found a place, and asked Chloe if she had any suggestions.

"We keep moving, that's all I can say." Chloe replied. "Besides, I plan on sleeping during the ride. If we get on the road soon, we could be in Warrenton later this afternoon. That's as far as I've been. Your only option is to drive into South Carolina."

"We'll see what happens." Rick said. "Right now, we need to get back on the road."

Rick had a talk with everyone before getting back on the road; he wasn't sure of where they were going, but they may be leaving Georgia behind. Immediately after that, everyone was getting into their vehicles. Chloe got into the back of the car, and fell asleep quickly. Whether or not they'd make it to South Carolina, she didn't know. She had never been outside of Georgia before, but would rather leave her home state. occasionally, she'd hear a conversation between Milton and Andrea; during the past couple of years, Chloe had become a light sleeper, though she didn't appear to be that way, seeing as she could sleep an entire day if allowed to.


	18. Chapter 18

Chloe woke up after a few hours, and looked out the window; only trees could be seen for miles, not a single house in sight. Chloe felt like she was going to need a lot more sleep, but could hold off until night. Andrea turned around and looked at her, then whispered something to Milton.

"You okay back there?"

"I'm fine." Chloe said in a tired voice. "Where are we?"

"In the middle of nowhere." Milton replied. "But we're still in Georgia; that's all I can tell you."

"When we get to Warrenton, we're going to stop to eat and grab some camping supplies." Andrea stated. "It's taking a lot of time getting there."

"Well, when there's a baby involved, you have to make a lot of stops." Milton pointed out. "You don't know how many stops we've had to make with our kids. And when they get bored and start complaining, you have to develop a sense of humor. Isn't that right, Chloe?"

"Of course it is." Chloe said. "Why is that window rolled down? Do you want a walker to come along and grab you while you're driving."

"Just wanted a nice breeze." Milton replied.

"Well, unless someone cut one off in the car, there isn't any reason for that window to be rolled down." Chloe stated. "Now roll it back up and turn the AC on."

Milton grumbled as he rolled the window up; he looked at Andrea who was snickering and asked her what was so funny. Andrea couldn't talk, as she was trying to keep from laughing. Milton finally realized why she was snickering, and told Chloe that only he was allowed to be the funny one in the car, and warned that the next person to make a peep would be tied to the roof of the car. Chloe kept quiet after that, trying to ignore the pains of hunger. She groaned slightly, causing Andrea to look back at her.

"Milton, I think we need to stop." she whispered. "Chloe looks like she might eat the upholstery any minute."

Milton honked the horn until all the cars came to a stop. Everyone stepped outside, confused and asking if someone had been hurt. Rick asked Milton is everyone was all right.

"We need to stop." Milton said. "Chloe needs to eat."

"We'll be in Warrenton soon." Rick assured him.

"I don't think she can wait that long." Milton objected.

"Okay." Rick said. "Chloe, you go to the truck and grab something, but we need to get back on the road. I might as well give Judith a feeding and changing while we're out here."

Chloe walked to the truck, and started looking through the food. She started complaining out loud about how she wanted a cheeseburger, until Carl told her to keep her voice down; there were walkers nearby. Chloe apologized, before grabbing a packet of cookies and a bottle of water, and walked back to the car.

"Really?" Milton asked. "You should eat something a little healthier."

"I need something sweet." Chloe said.

The group was back on the road half an hour later; Rick informed them that they would be in Warrenton within the next hour. Chloe sat quietly, feeling better after eating. Andrea asked Milton what was in Warrenton.

"Stella's aunt used to live just outside of the town." Milton replied. "We only visited once every few years before she passed. The first time, we got lost. Stella did the driving after that."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Andrea asked.

"Well, it sucks not being able to take the actual highways." Milton replied. "But other than that, we're doing good."

As soon as they got to Warrenton, Maggie asked Chloe to assist her and Glenn on the supply run, seeing as she would know where to get camping supplies. Chloe gladly accepted the offer, and told then that there was a sporting goods store just up the road. Rick allowed them to borrow his truck. Milton called after Chloe to be careful. Glenn decided to let Chloe drive, as she knew the way there.

"It must be strange being back in a familiar place at the end of the world." Maggie stated.

"The only problem is, I don't know anything farther east." Chloe implied. "Either by tonight or sometime tomorrow, we may not be in Georgia anymore."

"We may not have a choice." Maggie replied. "We're all a long ways away from home."

Chloe pulled over in front of the sporting goods store, and looked over the list. Glenn would grab the tents, stakes, and sleeping bags, while Maggie and Chloe grabbed the small essentials. He advised them to keep their guns ready at all times.

"You ever been in here before?" Maggie asked.

"Once, when I was twelve." Chloe said. "We should take some of these first aid kits; some of these hygiene kits, too. There's some lanterns in the next aisle over, could you go grab a few while I go and get a few more things.

"Sure." Maggie smiled, before each walked into another direction.

Chloe grabbed whatever she thought the group would need, even if they weren't going to use it. She was about to get more items when she heard Maggie screaming; Chloe ran to the scene, axe in hand, and chucked it right into the walker's head. Glenn came running with a look of worry.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." Maggie said with relief. "Is that everything."

Glenn nodded. "Let's get back to the others."

After loading everything into the back of the truck, the three drove back to the rest of the group, where a strong smell of coffee hit Chloe's nose. Carol came to her with a mug, offering her some; Chloe declined, saying she didn't drink coffee. Carol wasn't going to take no for an answer, as Chloe needed the energy.

"There's a first time for everything." Carol reminded her.

Chloe took the coffee, thanked Carol, and took the small sip, only to turn and spit it out.

"What is this?" she asked, with a look of disgust on her face. "It tastes bitter!"

Everyone started laughing; Carol took the mug, and walked away.

"I remember my first cup." Milton stated.

Carol returned a minute later, and held the mug out to Chloe.

"I put some creamer and sugar in it."

Chloe took the coffee and took another small sip.

"Now, that's what I'm talking about. Is that hazelnut? This is really good."

"It was either hazelnut or French vanilla." Carol implied. "But at least I know not to give you straight coffee."

Chloe smiled, before finishing the coffee and giving the mug back to Carol. Rick was informing everyone that they would camp just outside the town, and start back on the road after breakfast. Beth asked that they camp near a source of water, as there was a lot of dirty laundry; Rick looked at the map, and noted that there was a small lake they could camp near; he also noted that the road would take them into Thomson, where they would stop for another supply run; then, from there, they'd get off the highway just outside Harlem, and drive around the major cities. If they were lucky, they would be out of Georgia within a day or two as long as everyone was in good spirits.


	19. Chapter 19

The group set up camp on an abandoned farm just outside of Warrenton; after the tents were set up, Beth and Carol gathered up all the dirty laundry, and walked to the lake to wash them. Rick, Michonne, and Chloe walked the grounds, ready to shoot down, or slash any walker that came close. Occasionally, Michonne would look over at Chloe, who seemed to be miles away; it was like she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"Something on your mind, Chloe?" Michonne asked.

"Just thinking about when all this began." Chloe replied. "The night we left home, the highway was jammed packed; I was standing in the woods, watching as these military helicopters are flying over Atlanta. I hear Phillip calling for me, but I'm too preoccupied, watching as the city was being napalmed. When he gets to me, I tell him that I can't go on, that I don't want to live in this world, and he tells me that I have to be strong." Chloe sighed before continuing. "He made a promise that he would keep Penny, my father and me safe; as long as we were with him, nothing would happen to us."

"Sounds too good to be true." Michonne mumbled.

"I think Penny getting bit changed him." Chloe admitted. "I had spent those months thinking he buried her outside Woodbury, when instead he had her locked up in his apartment."

"When I first saw her, I thought she was a child who had been locked away from the outside world." Michonne confessed. "But when I took that sack off, I was horrified to see that she was actually a walker."

"She was a really sweet girl." Chloe said, with a smile. "If you were in a bad mood, she'd find a way to cheer you up; I think when you killed her reanimated form, that's when Phillip became the Governor."

"I did it to make him suffer." Michonne confessed. "She was already dead to begin with; he just couldn't accept that."

"He loved his daughter." Chloe said, with sympathy. "After she died, he didn't have anything left in the world; except anger and rage."

"He tried to kill you." Michonne said.

"I know." Chloe spoke softly. "You need to know something; I didn't kill Phillip, I killed the Governor. Phillip died a long time ago; whoever that was, he was a monster. He never wanted any of that to happen. I can't forgive the Governor, but I can forgive Phillip."

"You've got your heart in the right place." Michonne consoled. "Not very many people could be so forgiving."

"It's just the way I am." Chloe admitted. "Do you forgive Merle for what he did?"

"He gave his life." Michonne replied. "If he was still alive and found out that the Governor hurt you, he'd probably have a fit."

"Whenever we'd go on runs, Merle would make sure I stayed close to him, in case anyone tried to talk to me." Chloe said. "And if anyone tried to, he'd show them his knife, and tell them to leave me alone or he'd tear them up; that was enough to keep them away from me."

"He didn't seem like the type of person who'd protect someone." Michonne declared. "But at least he was never mean to you; just picked on you a lot."

Rick had been listening to the conversation; he admitted to Chloe that he was the one who handcuffed Merle to a roof, but had to do it because he was a danger to the others. They both had buried the hatchet just before Merle's sacrifice. Chloe reminded him that Merle became a part of the group the day he arrived at the prison with Daryl; even if Rick didn't want to admit that. How Merle was willing to save a child from walkers, no one knew. Chloe didn't know how he didn't get bit in the process, but she had trusted him since that day.

"I guess you've found closure." Rick said.

"Is it wrong?" Chloe asked.

"Not at all." Rick smiled. "Why don't you go back to the others? Michonne and I will be over soon, then Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie can take watch."

Chloe nodded before walking back to the campsite, where everyone was laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Your father was just telling us a story." Daryl replied.

"I'm sure I've heard it before." Chloe said, sitting on the ground. "A million times; probably that one where were at the diner in Jackson."

"That's the one." Milton grinned.

"You made everyone who was in that diner laugh." Chloe admitted. "All because of that sign."

"Chloe, how on Earth did your mother put up with him?" Maggie asked.

"He only did it to keep my brother and me entertained." Chloe replied. "I'm going to see if Beth and Carol need any help."

"Be careful and watch for walkers." Milton called after her.

"And snakes!" Andrea added.

"And traps!" Daryl shouted.

Chloe walked to the lake, where Beth and Carol were half-way through with the laundry; she asked if they needed any help, and Carol said that they could use an extra hand, and told her that she could hang the clothes on the line. Chloe got started right away, as they couldn't waste any time. Beth thanked her for offering to help, as it was taking a long time to do the laundry. Chloe said she would have joined them sooner if Rick hadn't made her walk the grounds.

"Well, with you here, it'll go by faster." Carol said. "It's a pain having to get up to hang something, then come back to scrub and rinse something else."

"Just like the old days." Chloe replied.

"It won't take long for them to get dry." Beth said. "We've got a nice breeze coming in."

"And the sun will help them dry faster." Carol added. "After dinner, they'll be dry enough and we can start folding. I still miss my Maytag."

"I miss Sunday afternoon walks." Beth sighed.

"I miss ice cream." Chloe said.

"Sophia and I used to go out for ice cream every Saturday." Carol said.

"It was every Friday night for us." Chloe nodded.

Carol, Chloe and Beth continued talking about life before the apocalypse, about their families, and what they missed the most. Carol quietly muttered about how there was one thing she didn't miss, but Chloe and Beth couldn't blame her for that. All three of them had people they missed, but they had become a family. They were very lucky to have found such wonderful people, and to be surrounded by friends.

"That's the last of it." Carol said, handing Chloe a shirt.

Chloe hung the shirt on the line, and asked Carol if she needed help with anything else; Carol said she didn't, but would let her know if she did, and thanked her for helping with the laundry. Chloe smiled and walked back to the camp, where there was an argument over what to have for dinner.

"Hey, Chloe what would you like for dinner?" Andrea asked.

"Pizza." Chloe replied.

"See, she's on the same page!" Rick exclaimed.

"Or anything covered with cheese." Chloe added. "And a root beer float."

"Well, it's either beans and rice, or everyone just makes their own dinner." Maggie implied.

"Good idea." Chloe said. "What do we have here? Sliced black olives, a jar of cheese dip; lima beans? No, thank you! Ooh, tortilla chips, perfect. And salsa."

Chloe opened the jar of cheese, and poured it into a bowl, then poured the salsa, and the olives into it and stirred it.

"What are you doing?" Milton asked.

"Making nacho dip." Chloe replied, before she dipped a chip in the cheese sauce, then ate it. "It's good, but it's missing something."

"Let me taste it." Milton said, grabbing a chip, and dipping it into the sauce, and taking a small bite. "Tastes fine to me."

Everyone started helping themselves, seeing if the nacho dip needed anything else; Rick and Carl agreed that something was missing, while the others thought it tasted just fine. Chloe finally realized that it was too mild, and guessed that her taste buds were a little off, and added more salsa before tasting it again.

"That's better." she replied. "It didn't have that kick."

"I thought I'd never have nachos at the end of the world." Daryl laughed. "What else can you make?"

"Don't give her any ideas." Milton said. "A lot of them might involve a jar of Nutella. She used to put that stuff on everything."

"Well, it served you right for buying it in the first place." Chloe chuckled. "And it didn't put it on everything I ate."

"I don't want you to start making any ridiculous meals." Milton implied. "Your mother and I let you and Gavin do the cooking once; all you did was cook some noodles, and pour an entire bottle of ranch dressing on them, and put in some of that leftover cooked ground beef that was in the fridge. Stella asked them what the heck it was, and Gavin told her it was hamburger helper."

Everyone busted out laughing; Chloe had to admit it was funny, but she didn't really remember that. Milton told her she was twelve at the time, and Gavin was nine, and that they ended up going out for dinner that night, and that he and Stella vowed to never leave them alone in the kitchen ever again, but that Chloe had gotten very good at making some dishes. Everyone else told of their funny meal stories, which lasted into the night. Tired of listening to the stories, Chloe quietly walked into a tent, laid a sleeping bag on the ground, then laid down, and started falling asleep; she was half asleep, when everyone realized she wasn't there.

"Where'd Chloe go?" Carl asked.

"We must have bored her." Daryl guessed.

Andrea got up, and looked into one of the tents, and motioned for everyone to be quiet.

"She must still be worn out." Carol guessed. "But sleep sounds good."

Everyone got up, and into tents. Milton and Andrea stepped quietly into theirs, as they didn't want to wake Chloe. Milton carefully put a blanket over her, and kneeled down next to her, to see if she was really asleep.

"She won't wake up." he whispered.

"As long as she's still breathing." Andrea muttered. "That's all that matters."

"She's a quiet sleeper." Milton said. "We should get to sleep, too."

Andrea and Milton grabbed sleeping bags, and quietly laid them out, then laid down to sleep. Milton and Andrea both looked over at Chloe, who was dead to the world, and smiled. Andrea told Milton he was lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.

"I know." Milton replied. "But in a way, she's become your daughter, too."


	20. Chapter 20

Chloe woke up with a gasp in the early hours of the morning; she could feel sweat running down her face as she tried to remember the dream she just had; it felt so real, but it also felt like it hadn't happened yet. In her dream, Chloe had witnessed a deceased person reanimating into a walker, something she had never seen before in her waking life. She looked over at Milton and Andrea, both still asleep, and quietly got up and walked out of the tent into the darkness. Chloe looked up at the starry sky, then looked around the field, immediately pulling out her revolver at a small sound, but lowering it once she saw that it was just an animal.

"Chloe, what are you doing out here?"

Chloe quickly turned around, to see that Andrea had stepped outside.

"I was just-" Chloe started.

"Come back in the tent." Andrea demanded gently.

Chloe walked back into the tent with Andrea following her; Andrea wanted to know what Chloe was doing outside in the first place. Chloe admitted that she thought something was about to happen, and there was nothing that could be done. When Chloe told Andrea about her dream, Andrea asked who it was, but Chloe said that she couldn't make out the person's face. This reminded Andrea of the time when Jim, a now deceased group member had seen the deaths of several members, including her sister, Amy, in a dream.

"So, you've never seen anyone reanimate?" Andrea asked.

"Never." Chloe replied. "But I think that's going to change soon."

"Go back to sleep." Andrea said. "It's too early for you to be awake."

Chloe laid down on her sleeping bag; Andrea watched as Chloe was falling into an uneasy sleep. She would have to talk to Milton later that morning, but for now, she needed sleep, too. Chloe would wake up two hours later, unable to get back to sleep, still shaken from the previous dream.

During breakfast, Andrea told Milton about what Chloe had told her earlier that morning. When Milton confronted his daughter, she didn't know what to make of it; even the others couldn't make anything of Chloe's dream, or if it was going to happen. After breakfast, Rick asked Chloe to walk the grounds with Glenn and Maggie, to take her mind off things, while the rest packed up. Chloe walked towards the street, looking through the telescope, to see a car coming closer. Chloe stepped closer to the street, and prepared her rifle for shooting. She ignored the others, telling her not to shoot. The car came to a screeching stop, but Chloe still held the rifle towards the car, only to lower it once she saw the two people stepping out of the car.

"Son of a-" Chloe started, kicking a clump of dirt on the ground. "Damn it! Caesar Martinez, I could have bloody killed you and Tyreese!"

"What are you doing out here?" Martinez asked. "I thought you were at your grandparents vacation home."

"It got overrun." Chloe replied. "Why aren't you in Woodbury?"

Tyreese explained to Chloe that a few of the residents had died and reanimated, causing a massacre in the walls; most had managed to escape, but several residents, including Sasha and Allen were killed in the attack. Tyreese and Martinez managed to escape, but barely made it out alive. Chloe asked how the people who had died weren't killed before reanimation, and Martinez replied that they had gotten seriously ill for some mysterious reason.

"How long ago did this happen?" Chloe asked.

"Just a few days ago." Tyreese replied. "Where you all headed?"

"Probably South Carolina." Chloe replied. "We'll be getting back on the road soon."

"Do you mind if we join?" Martinez asked. "We'll only follow you to South Carolina, but we'll go on our own after that."

"That isn't for me to decide." Chloe said

Martinez and Tyreese followed Chloe to the camp, where they asked Rick if they could join them for a little while. Seeing as they were two of the people who had saved Chloe's life, Rick allowed them to stay for as long as they wanted. Martinez pulled Chloe aside afterwards, and noted that she told him that if he ever wanted to find her, to look in Warrenton. Chloe didn't remember that, but Martinez reminded her that she told him the day they had both become friends.

"Maybe I should have told you that you may have to go outside of the town to find me." Chloe admitted. "I guess that really wasn't goodbye."

"I don't think it really was." Martinez smiled.

Milton called for Chloe to get in the car; Chloe told Martinez that he and Tyreese could follow behind, before getting into the back seat of the car. Milton gave Andrea the keys, stating that it was her turn to drive. Andrea warned Milton not to get on her nerves as they both got into the car. Daryl motioned for everyone to follow him, and the vehicles started the journey to Thomson, where Rick had previously noted that they'd make a quick run. The drive only lasted sixteen minutes, although Chloe commented that she was sure it was going to be longer, as she didn't know this part of Georgia. She wasn't sure if she was going to be ready to leave her home state, and started having second thoughts about the idea.

Once in the town, Glenn and Maggie looked at the map, noting that there was a convenience store up the street, and took Rick's truck to go grab a few supplies for the road. The others had already gunned down several walkers before the pair returned, while Beth had given Judith a changing and feeding. Glenn gave Rick his keys back, and thanked him. Maggie noted that they had killed a few walkers, but neither of them had been attacked.

"We grabbed what we could." Maggie implied. "Wasn't much there."

"This'll be enough." Rick said. "There won't be anymore stops for a while. Does anyone have any questions? Yes, Milton?"

"What if we accidentally get off road and wind up in the Florida Everglades?" Milton asked, making Chloe give him a strange look.

"First off, it would take an entire day to get there." Rick stated. "And secondly, we aren't going in that direction. We're going East, not South. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, I have a question." Chloe said. "Why are we doing this?"

"Because we need to find a safe place." Rick replied. "And if I recall, you're the one who suggested we leave the state."

"If we were smarter, we'd leave the planet." Chloe muttered.

"Chloe, leaving Earth is not going to solve anything." Milton remarked. "We'd still be infected if we relocated on Mars."

"I tell you what, Chloe," Rick started. "When we've run out of places to go, I'll consider leaving the planet. But until then, we'll stay here on Earth. Does anyone else have any questions? No? Then let's get back on the road."

"Don't worry, Chloe." Martinez said, patting her on the shoulder. "It's not going to be that bad."

Chloe warned Martinez to shut his mouth before getting into the car. Andrea replied that Martinez was just teasing her, and Chloe replied that he needed to stop it or else. Milton assured Chloe that everything would be just fine, and they'd make it to their next destination. Chloe sat quietly, looking out the window, occasionally seeing a walker in the distance, or an abandoned farm. Milton would look back at his daughter, to make sure that she was okay. During their trips before the apocalypse, Chloe was always quiet and kept to herself; she was so quiet, that Milton would look back to make sure she was still breathing; Gavin was the talkative one though, and on a few occasions, had to be given something to keep him entertained, until Milton started to get bored of the ride and become ornery. surprisingly, he wasn't trying to find any ways to annoy Andrea, which for him, was a first.

After a while Chloe looked out the front window to see a lake; Andrea informed her that it was Lake Strom Thurmond, and that Savannah river ran right off of it. Chloe had never seen water that blue before. The cars were half way across the bridge, when they stopped. Everyone got out, and admired the view; Chloe looked at it for a moment, before turning to where they had just come from; it was really happening; she was leaving her home behind.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Milton asked.

"I don't think I can do this." Chloe replied with doubt in her voice.

"Yes, you can." Milton assured her.

"No, I can't." Chloe said.

"Chloe, look at me." Milton demanded gently.

"No, I don't want you to see me cry." Chloe muttered. "You don't like it when I cry.

"Look at me; we've made it this far." Milton said "I don't want to leave either, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made."

"I just want my old life back." Chloe whispered in a broken voice.

"I know." Milton whispered back, pulling his daughter close to him. "Now, you let those tears out." His voice starting to break. "I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this, but you didn't have to go through it alone, and you never will. You're a lot stronger than you were when this all began."

"I'm hardly the person I was." Chloe stated.

"You go get back in the car, I'm going to have a quick word with Rick." Milton said.

Chloe nodded, then walked back to the car, where Andrea was sitting outside, waiting. Once there, Andrea gave Chloe a hug, telling her that they would be just fine, and that she couldn't give up now.

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it this far." Andrea reminded her.

Once the vehicles started moving again, Chloe took one last look back home, vowing that once all this was over, she'd return. But deep down, she knew that she'd never go back home again; but it was good to have positive thoughts, as her mother used to tell her.

A half an hour drive took the group into a rural town where they would stay for a few nights. The group was preparing to settle in an abandoned elementary school gymnasium, not aware of the walkers that were approaching. Chloe turned to Martinez, only to see a walker creeping up behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chloe shouted to Martinez; he turned around, only to be taken down by the walker and bitten on his right shoulder. Chloe ran to the scene, and pulled the walker off Martinez, quickly shooting it in the head; she helped Martinez in his feet, watching as more walkers were creeping closer; Chloe helped Martinez into the building, shouting for someone to help, and informing them of the walkers outside. Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie ran outside; Carl huddled in a corner, holding his sister close to him, with Beth standing nearby. Chloe carefully laid Martinez on the ground; holding him in her arms; Tyreese, Andrea and Milton stood close by, knowing what was about to happen.

"Caesar, stay with me. Look at me." Chloe begged. "You'll be just fine; Keep looking at me."

Martinez looked into Chloe's eyes, and smiled weakly.

"You're an angel." he said softly.

"That was the first thing you ever said to me." Chloe said, trying to fight the tears. "You're burning up."

"It's okay." Martinez whispered. "I'll be with my family soon; my wife and my kids; you take care of yourself, and-"

Martinez stopped speaking; he looked into Chloe's eyes, until everything went black She knew he was gone, but wasn't ready to accept it yet. In only a matter of minutes, Chloe heard a strange growling coming from Martinez; and looked at him. He opened is eyes, looked at Chloe and growled. Chloe allowed him to sit up, knowing that he wasn't Martinez anymore; Tyreese and Milton rushed to the scene. Milton pulled his daughter away from Martinez, and walked her away from him. Tyreese pulled his gun out, ready to shoot his friend. Milton shielded Chloe from the scene, holding her close to him

"Don't look, baby, don't look." he whispered, as he covered her ears.

A gunshot rang in the air, causing Milton to jump a little; the rest of the group had come back inside just as Tyreese had put down his friend. Milton uncovered his daughter's ears, and whispered softly to her. Chloe knew that this would happen, but didn't think it would happen so soon. It was the first time in her life she had seen a person reanimate. Chloe pulled herself away from her father, picked up her now deceased friend's knife off the floor and walked outside.

"Chloe, what are you doing?" Milton asked

But Chloe was already outside; a walker spotted her, but before it could make it's move, she pushed it to the ground, and started stabbing it in the head.

"Stupid! Stupid walker! I hate you! You stupid thing! I hate you all! Bastards!"

Rick and Daryl ran outside; Daryl grabbed Chloe, while Rick pulled the knife out of her hand. Chloe kept shouting at the walker, with Daryl shouting at her to calm down. Chloe took a deep breath, allowing herself to break down. Daryl helped her up, and into the building, allowing Milton to take her. Rick came back in, and he, Tyreese and Daryl discussed where they were going to bury Martinez. Tyreese decided they would bury him in the field near the playground, and walked outside.

"I don't want to live anymore." Chloe whispered.

"Don't say that." Milton whispered, helping his daughter sit on the floor.

Andrea joined them, and sat next to Chloe, not sure of what to say to her or how to comfort her.

"I hate those things." Chloe muttered.

"Good!" Andrea exclaimed. "That's good! I hate them, too! If you have anything you want to say, you say it right now."

"Actually, I think I took all my anger out on that walker." Chloe admitted. "Andrea, I lied to you."

"What?" Andrea asked.

"When I told you I was going to become a biologist before all this started." Chloe replied. "In my opinion, I think biology is boring!"

"Then, what were you planning on doing?" Andrea asked.

"I've always been interested in electricity." Chloe admitted. "And astronomy."

"Let me guess, you told your mother that you wanted to become a biologist because she wouldn't approve of you being around electricity." Andrea guessed.

"I was going to tell her." Chloe confessed. "I think even she didn't want me to study a boring subject; the day I told her, she looked at me like I was crazy, but she knew I was lying."

"Did you know about it, Milton?" Andrea asked.

"I knew since she was eight years old." Milton replied.

"Why are you telling me this now, Chloe?" Andrea asked

"Because I don't know how much longer I have." Chloe admitted. "Or how much longer any of us have."

"Don't think like that." Milton said softly. "We don't know what tomorrow will bring, or even next week."

"I know that." Chloe said, getting to her feet. "I'm just tired of running."

Chloe walked out of the building, and looked up at the sky. It looked like it was going to rain at any moment; Tyreese had just finished digging the grave, and was walking back. He informed Chloe that they needed to do this quick before the rain started falling. Fifteen minutes later, the group was gathered around the grave; only Tyreese could manage to say a few words before the rain started falling; Daryl placed a handmade cross on the grave. Chloe waited until everyone went back inside.

"At least you don't have to worry anymore, Caesar. You're in a better place now; with your family. Thank you again for everything. I know we'll meet again on the other side."

Chloe walked away from the grave, and back inside; everyone looked at her, noticing that she was calm and composed as she sat down next to her father, listening to the sound of rain outside, and the occasional thunder. Milton held his daughter in his arms, as she listened to the storm, and fell asleep.

"I guess Chloe was right." Andrea muttered. "That dream she had last night."

"I wish we could have prevented it." Milton whispered.

"There wasn't anything we could do." Andrea replied. "Milton, you need to keep her close to you for as long as possible. She's right; none of us know how much longer any of us have. Don't let her out of your sight for any reason! And never assume that there'll be more time; you cherish every moment you have with her."

"I've been doing that since the day she was born." Milton whispered. "I just don't know if I'll be ready when that time comes, or if I can live after that."

Milton had never thought about what he would do if he lost his daughter; it was something he never wanted to think about. He didn't know if he could continue living after that, or if he would want to. If Chloe was taken from him, he wouldn't have anything to live for. Milton had to agree, he was tired of running, too.


	22. Chapter 22

Rick said they would only be there for a few days; but a few days turned into a few weeks. What could be worse than being stuck in an elementary school gymnasium? Nothing. The thing was, no one wanted to leave; it was the best they've had in days. It could have been worse; a lot worse. Being in there was better than being outside, but no one ever went out there unless it was absolutely necessary. Chloe would only step outside for fresh air, but then come back inside and go back to reading; Daryl, Carl, Tyreese, and Glenn would usually be tied up in a game of basketball, and try to get her to join in; Chloe would decline.

"I prefer soccer." she'd say.

They've heard that one a few times; it was time they got to know more about her.

"Anything else we don't know?" Daryl asked.

"I used to eat a bacon jalapeno cheeseburger after every game; my favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip; my favorite song is Free Bird." Chloe replied. "I'm ambidextrous; I'm fluent in Croatian; I hate spiders, but you already knew that; If the world had gone to you-know-what, I would have graduated high school by now; I suffered a ruptured appendix when I was eleven years old; I used to swim in ice cold water, and I don't take crap from anyone. There, I think that covers everything."

Chloe smirked at Daryl before going back to reading her book. Daryl muttered something about her being a sarcastic smart ass, but she just ignored that comment. Everyone couldn't believe what they just heard. Chloe didn't think it was any of their business, but it was better to tell them now; she may not be able to tell them later.

"You have any questions?" Chloe asked.

"No." Daryl replied.

"Good." Chloe said, getting to her feet. "I'm going outside for some fresh air. If anyone needs me, you can wait until I get back inside."

Chloe walked outside, leaving almost everyone confused. Daryl looked at Milton, and asked him if all that was true.

"Every word of it." Milton replied. "I think she may have left a few things out."

"What could she have possibly left out?" Glenn asked. "She might as well of just told us her entire life story."

Milton thought about it for a few minutes; there was so much Chloe had left out. Maybe she didn't remember it, or she had put it in her past and wanted nothing to do with it, or didn't want to be reminded of it.

"When Chloe was four years old, she would get up in the middle of the night and hide in her closet; Stella and I couldn't figure out why, but every morning, we'd find her in there." Milton said. "We took her to every kind of doctor we could think of, but none of them could put it together. We'd wake her up every morning, and she walked out of the closet like there wasn't anything wrong. I thought she may have started sleep walking, but that wasn't it; Chloe simply woke up, walked in there and fell asleep. One night, I decided to sleep in there with her; you already know what happens, but this time I wake up, and see her carrying her blanket and pillow into the closet. I get up, and pick her up and take her back to her bed, but she just gets back up again. I asked her why she wanted to sleep in the closet."

"What did she say?" Rick asked.

"She didn't say anything." Milton replied. "It lasted seven months; one morning, I walk in her room to find her fast asleep in her bed. I think she may have been going through a phase like all kids do. And when she was nine years old, she told us that she wanted to get onto her school's soccer team; no problem with that, right? She was more active than Gavin was; his idea of being active was wrestling in the mud with his friends; that boy would walk inside all muddy and Stella would have a fit. She'd tell him to go take a shower, then clean up the mess he made of the floor. One day we got a call from one of his friend's mother and she told us she didn't want her son coming home covered in mud anymore, so I'd turn on the sprinkler and let them run around. Soccer can be messy, but it's clean compared to mud wrestling."

"That's how boys are." Rick chuckled. "They're rowdy and rambunctious."

"I loved both of my children equally." Milton stated. "But you all know that Chloe is all I have left in this world. Without her, I don't have anything worth living for."

They've been told that before, a thousand times; and he meant it every time. Only a parent could say that, but a father who only had his daughter at the end of the world could say what Milton was about to say.

"I love my daughter more than anything in the world, the universe and the whole of existence. I love her more than she loves me, and more than anyone I have ever loved and ever will. I loved her since before she was born and will love her even after the end of time. And if any of you have a problem with that, don't bother becoming a parent."

Chloe had walked inside in the middle of the speech; Milton turned to her and waited for her to speak, but she couldn't say anything. He had said that before, but this time was different. The next time she heard that speech, it would be the last thing she'd ever hear him say. Next time, he'd have more to say to her.

"See what you did?" Glenn asked. "Now she may never speak again."

"It's okay, I've heard that a million times." Chloe smiled. "Rick, I've been thinking of something."

"Yeah and what would that be?" Rick asked.

"Well, we've been here almost a month." Chloe stated. "And I don't think I want to get back on the road again."

"Are you suggesting we take over this town?" Rick asked.

"We take out every walker." Chloe implied. "And if more come, we deal with it."

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Milton demanded to know.

"Dad, relax. I'm still me." Chloe assured him, before turning to Rick. "What do you say, Grimes? You ready to kick some reanimated ass?"

The group was astonished; Rick had to take a minute to take in what he just heard. But it was simple, she didn't want to run anymore. Chloe had changed a lot since Martinez died a few weeks ago. Everyone would have expected her to have a break down after the death of her friend, but she was always calm and peaceful.

"You understand the risks, right?" Rick asked.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to keep this group safe." Chloe replied with a small nod.

"Then, we'll do it." Rick informed her and the others. "We'll take out the walkers."

"We'll take it one day at a time." Chloe said.

"Then, we'd better get started." Rick said in agreement, before turning to the group. "What do you say? Shall we do this?"

"Hell, yes!" Daryl exclaimed. "Let's go out there and kick ass!"

Chloe waited until she was alone with her father; Beth had agreed to look after Judith. Chloe gave her revolver to her father, and gave him the bullets, telling him to be sparing with them.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Milton asked

"No." Chloe replied, before turning to walk outside.

But before she could take another step, Milton pulled her back to him, and hugged her closely.

"I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too." Chloe whispered back. "We'll get through this."

"I know we will." Milton said softly, letting her go. "Come on, it's time to kick some ass."

Chloe took Milton's hand, and they both walked out of the building, and across the parking lot. The father and daughter smiled at each other, both reluctantly letting go, and started to take down the walkers.


End file.
